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3 min readPublished Last reviewed

How to Add Page Numbers to a PDF

Written and fact-checked by The EditPDF AI Team

Adding page numbers stamps sequential numbers onto every page of a PDF as a new text layer on top of existing content — without altering the original page content underneath.

Step-by-step: add page numbers

  1. 1Open editpdfai.com/add-page-numbers and upload your PDF.
  2. 2Choose the position — left, center, or right — in the header or footer.
  3. 3Set the font, size, and starting number.
  4. 4Preview the result on a sample page, then apply it to the whole document and download.
Non-destructive layer

Page numbers are added as a new text layer on top of existing content, running entirely locally in your browser without changing the underlying page.

Why page numbers matter

  • ·Legal briefs and contracts, where a specific page needs to be referenced precisely
  • ·Academic papers, where page citations are part of standard formatting
  • ·Business reports and manuals, where readers navigate by page reference
Use Roman numerals or custom labelsFor more advanced numbering schemes beyond simple sequential numbers.Number pages after mergingAdd continuous page numbers once multiple documents are combined.Page numbers vs. page labelsHow to choose between the two numbering approaches.
Core PDF tool

Add Page Numbers

The core workflow is available without an account. Browser and tool-specific limits apply.

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