PDF Page Numberer

Stamp page numbers onto any PDF: pick bottom-center, corner or top, write a format with n and N, set a start number, and skip the cover page.

The PDF is loaded, stamped and saved locally with pdf-lib. Your file never leaves your device.

Drop a PDF here or click to browse

Use {n} for the page number and {N} for the total — e.g. Page {n} of {N}

Preview—

How It Works

Numbering runs on the open-source pdf-lib library inside your browser tab: the PDF is parsed, a line of Helvetica text is appended to each target page, and the document is re-saved as a new file. No upload, no server-side step.

Text Drawn on Top
A PDF paints its content stream in order, so text added after the page loads lands on top of everything already there. The number sits in the margin like a printed footer — visible on screen and in print, but it is ordinary page content, not a security feature.
Format Tokens {n} and {N}
The format box is a template evaluated per page: {n} is replaced with that page's number and {N} with the document's total page count — so "Page {n} of {N}" becomes "Page 3 of 12". Any surrounding text you write is kept verbatim, which makes prefixes like "- {n} -" possible.
Start Offset and Cover Skip
Without the cover option, a page keeps number = start + position, so starting at 5 shifts the whole sequence. With "don't number the first page" checked, sheet one stays clean and sheet two receives your start value. {N} always counts every page in the file, so "of 12" stays honest even when the cover is blank.

Frequently Asked Questions

Don't PDFs already have page numbers?

Viewers count pages ("3 of 12") but the sheet itself carries a number only if someone printed one into the content. Many scans, exports and merged files have nothing — that gap is exactly what this tool fills: it stamps a line of text onto each page at the position you choose.

Why might the stamped numbers disagree with the viewer's count?

Documents that restart numbering per section, use roman numerals for a preamble, or hide covers still have a flat page tree, and this tool counts like a viewer does. Use the start offset so the printed footer matches the convention your reader expects; {N} always reports the file's true total.

Can I number only certain pages, like the body of a report?

This tool offers one selective rule: don't number the first page (for cover pages). For arbitrary ranges — body only, appendices excluded — split the file with the PDF splitter, stamp the range you need here, then rejoin everything with the PDF merge tool.

Can someone remove the numbers later?

Yes. The footer is ordinary Helvetica text added to the page, so a PDF editor can delete it and re-export. What is true: the numbers are baked into the page layout of the download, so anyone viewing or printing the file sees them — there is no toggle in a plain viewer.

Is anything uploaded to a server?

No. The PDF is loaded, stamped and re-saved entirely with pdf-lib in your browser. There is no upload step, no account, and no network request containing your file.