How to Add Page Numbers to a PDF (Paginate Online)
Insert page numbers into a PDF: choose the corner, the margin, the format (1, 2, 3 or Page 1 of 5), the page range, and Bates numbering for legal files. Step-by-step guide.
Short answer: Open the Add Page Numbers tool, upload your PDF, then pick the position, the page range and the format — plain numbers, Page 1 of 5, or Bates numbering — and apply. A preview shows exactly where the number lands before anything is written.
Paginating a document makes it easier to reference, review and print — essential for contracts, reports, court filings, and anything a reader needs to cite by page.
How to add page numbers to a PDF
- Upload your PDF to the Add Page Numbers tool.
- Choose where the number goes on the 3×3 position grid, and how far from the edge with the margin slider.
- Set the page range — the whole document, or just the pages that should carry a number.
- Pick the format —
1, 2, 3,Page 1,Page 1 of 5or1/5— or switch to Bates numbering. - Apply and download the paginated PDF.
The panel on the left previews the first page in your range, so you can see the number's position and size before committing to it.
Where the number sits: position and margin
The position grid maps to the nine natural spots on a page — top-left through bottom-right. Bottom-center is the default because it's what most printed documents use and it's the least likely to collide with headers.
The margin slider has four steps (small, medium, large, extra large) and controls how far the number sits from the page edge. Two cases where it matters:
- Documents that will be bound or hole-punched — move the number toward the center, or use a larger margin so it isn't swallowed by the binding.
- Pages with edge-to-edge design — a larger margin pushes the number inward, but the safer fix is a different corner.
Number formats
| Format | Looks like | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Plain | 7 | Reports, anything with its own header |
| Page | Page 7 | Handouts and printed material |
| Page of total | Page 7 of 24 | Contracts — a reader can tell if a page is missing |
| Slash | 7/24 | Compact footers |
Page 7 of 24 is worth the extra characters on anything sent for signature: it makes an incomplete copy obvious at a glance.
Insert page numbers on a range only
The From and To fields limit which pages get stamped, and the counter follows the physical page — set From to 2 and the second page gets a 2, not a 1. That covers the common case of leaving a cover page or a title sheet unnumbered while the rest of the document stays in step with itself.
If you need a section to restart at 1 with its own numbering, split it into its own file, number that file, then merge it back.
Bates numbering for legal documents
Switching the type from Numbers to Bates replaces the plain counter with a prefix plus a zero-padded sequence:
- Prefix — a case or client code, e.g.
ABC. - Digits — how wide the number is, padded with leading zeros. Six digits gives
ABC000001, which stays sortable up to a million pages.
This is the identifier convention used in discovery and court filings, where every page has to be citable and unique across a whole production set.
The three built-in fonts (Helvetica, Courier, Times) cover Latin-1 only. Characters outside that set — Cyrillic, Greek, or Turkish
ş/ğin a prefix — are dropped from the stamp rather than breaking it, so keep prefixes to plain ASCII.
Font, size and color
The font row sets the typeface, the size in points, and the color. Defaults are Helvetica 12pt in black, which matches most body text. Grey at the same size reads as a subtle footer; matching the number to your document's font is the difference between "stamped by a tool" and "typeset".
The right order of operations
Numbering should almost always come last, after the document is final:
| Step | Tool |
|---|---|
| 1. Combine files | Merge PDF |
| 2. Reorder / delete pages | Organize Pages |
| 3. Add page numbers | Add Page Numbers |
Numbering first and then reordering leaves the numbers out of sequence — the stamp is part of the page content, so it travels with the page when you move it. Finish the structure before you number.
Common uses
- Merged reports — number a combined document so it reads as one.
- Contracts — page numbers let parties reference specific clauses, and Page x of y proves nothing is missing.
- Court filings and discovery — Bates numbering gives every page a unique identifier.
- Printed handouts — readers can put a dropped stack back in order.
Tips
- Finalize the page order first with Organize Pages, then number.
- Check the preview rather than the settings — position and margin are much easier to judge on the page itself.
- Re-number after any change — if you add or remove pages later, apply numbering again so the sequence stays correct.