Printing a long report and need every page numbered before you hand it out? This tool stamps page numbers onto a PDF right in your browser. Pick where they go, how they’re formatted, and what number to start counting from, then download a copy with the numbers baked in - no software, no account, no upload.

Why people use this tool

• Nothing leaves your device: numbering happens locally using pdf-lib and PDF.js, so the file never touches a server.
• See it before you commit: a live preview shows exactly where the stamp will land, in the format you picked, before you download anything.
• Full control over the details: six positions, three formats, a custom starting number, and an option to skip the cover page.
• No size limits or paywalls: number as many pages as your browser can handle, for free.

Choosing where the numbers go

Six position buttons cover the usual spots: top or bottom, aligned left, center, or right. Bottom-center is the default because it’s the most common choice for printed reports and books, but a contract might call for bottom-right, or a bound document for alternating margins.

The preview updates as soon as you click a different position, showing a scaled-down version of the actual page with a sample stamp in the right spot. Since it’s drawn with the same margin and alignment math used for the real file, what you see in the preview is what ends up in the download.

Picking a numbering format

Three formats cover most needs: a plain number (1), the word “Page” in front of it (Page 1), or the fuller Page 1 of N that also states the total page count. The last one is useful for documents that might get printed and shuffled - a reader can tell at a glance if a page is missing.

Whichever format you choose applies to every numbered page consistently. There’s no need to set it per page.

Starting from a different number and skipping the cover

Not every document should start counting at 1. A chapter that continues from a previous file, or a report that’s part of a larger bound set, might need to start at 47 instead. The Start at field controls that starting value directly.

Skip first page handles the other common case: a cover page or title sheet that shouldn’t carry a visible number at all. Turn it on and the first page is left untouched while the second page becomes the one carrying your starting number. When this is active, the preview shows both the untouched cover and the first page that actually gets numbered, so it’s clear what will happen before you download anything.

What happens when you save

Clicking Add Page Numbers & Download PDF stamps each page using pdf-lib with an embedded Helvetica font, positioned according to your chosen margin and alignment. The stamp accounts for the page’s own rotation, so it lands correctly and reads upright even on scanned or rotated pages. Nothing else about the page changes - no re-rendering, no quality loss. The download is named after your original file with _numbered added.

When a PDF can’t be numbered

Password-protected or encrypted PDFs can’t be read by the tool, since it never sends the file anywhere to check the password. If loading fails, an error message appears under the upload area. Remove the password using a PDF viewer first, then try again.

Corrupted files that fail to parse show the same error. Opening the file in a PDF viewer first can confirm whether it’s valid before you try numbering it.

If you need to combine several files into one document before numbering it, PDF Merge handles that. To pull out unwanted pages first, use Remove Pages, and if the pages are in the wrong order, Reorder Pages can fix that before you add numbers.

Privacy: no server involved

Numbering runs entirely in your browser tab using pdf-lib and PDF.js, two open-source libraries. The preview is rendered locally, the stamped file is built locally, and the download is a local blob URL. Nothing about your document is ever transmitted.