How to Add Page Numbers to a PDF

Add page numbers to a PDF free: choose bottom left, centre or right, start from any number, skip the cover page, and keep numbers readable on scans.

LyfPDF
Written and reviewed by the Practical guidance based on browser workflows, documented limits and output checks.
Published Reviewed

To add page numbers to a PDF, open Add Page Numbers, choose the position (bottom left, centre or right) and the starting number, then click Add numbers & download. Every page of the new PDF carries its number.

Add page numbers step by step

  1. Open Add Page Numbers and select the PDF.
  2. Choose where the numbers go: bottom centre for reports, bottom right for legal bundles.
  3. Set the starting number — 1 by default, or any other value.
  4. Click Add numbers & download.
  5. Scroll through the downloaded PDF to check the numbers on rotated or landscape pages.

Skip the cover page

If the cover should not be numbered, split it off with Split PDF (extract page 1, then pages 2 to the end), number the second file starting at 1, and put the two back together with Merge PDF. If your style guide counts the cover as page zero, simply start numbering at 0.

Numbers on scanned pages

Each number gets a subtle white backing, so it stays readable over photographs or grey scan backgrounds, and it scales with the page so huge scans and small A5 pages both look right.

Page labels, Bates numbers and “Page X of Y”

For legal production numbers or page labels such as i, ii, iii followed by 1, 2, 3, use the PDF editor: its Pages tab sets page labels and its Protect tab adds header/footer, page numbers and Bates numbers as real text.

Number your PDF now: Open Add Page Numbers →

Frequently asked questions

How do I add page numbers to a PDF for free?

Open Add Page Numbers, pick the position and starting number and download. It is free, with no upload or login.

How do I insert page numbers in a PDF starting from page 2?

Split off page 1, number the rest from 1 and merge the files again — or start numbering at 0 so the cover counts as zero.

Can I remove page numbers from a PDF?

Numbers that are part of the page content cannot be removed automatically; cover them with the editor's white-out tool or regenerate the PDF from the source document without numbers.

More in this topic cluster

PDF Tools for Everyday Tasks

Choose the right tool for merging, splitting, editing and sharing everyday documents.

How to Extract Pages from a PDF

Pull out one page or a range into a new file.

PDF Editors: How They Work

Layers, annotations, flattening and OCR explained.

Keep an untouched source and verify the downloaded copy. This guide is educational, not legal, compliance or professional certification. Read the LyfPDF Disclaimer.