Add Page Numbers to PDFs Securely (100% Offline)

Insert Page Numbers into PDFs Instantly

Whether you are preparing a legal brief, organizing a scanned book, or formatting a thesis, knowing how to add page numbers to a PDF is critical for document readability. Our tool allows you to select the exact starting number and position (header or footer), making it perfect for appending files to an existing indexed document or applying Bates numbering.

How to Add Page Numbers to a PDF

Follow these simple steps to customize and insert page numbers into your PDF file using our free online tool:

1. Upload your document: Drag and drop your PDF file into the upload zone above. The file is processed securely in your browser and never leaves your device.
2. Set your starting page number: If your document is part of a larger file, you can choose a custom starting number (e.g., start numbering at 15).
3. Choose the position: Select where the numbers should appear (Top-Left, Bottom-Center, Bottom-Right, etc.) to fit perfectly into your document's header or footer.
4. Download your paginated PDF: Click the "Add Page Numbers" button. The tool will instantly stamp vector-based numbers on every page and trigger a secure download.

Fastest Sequential Page Numbering PDF Tool

Because our tool executes directly in your browser's local memory rather than relying on cloud queues, it can add footer numbers to massive PDF files in milliseconds. Simply select your position (like Bottom Center), and the tool will stamp a pristine, vector-based number on every page instantly.

Top Use Cases for Adding Page Numbers

Developer Utility: Insert Page Numbers in PDF via Code

If you are a developer looking to automatically add page numbers to PDFs in your Node.js backend, you can use the open-source pdf-lib package. Here is the exact logic our tool uses to calculate coordinates and paginate:

import { PDFDocument, StandardFonts, rgb } from 'pdf-lib';
import fs from 'fs';

async function addPageNumbers(inputPath, outputPath, startNumber = 1) {
    // 1. Load document
    const existingPdfBytes = fs.readFileSync(inputPath);
    const pdfDoc = await PDFDocument.load(existingPdfBytes);
    
    // 2. Embed font
    const font = await pdfDoc.embedFont(StandardFonts.Helvetica);
    const pages = pdfDoc.getPages();
    
    // 3. Stamp every page
    pages.forEach((page, index) => {
        const { width, height } = page.getSize();
        const pageText = (startNumber + index).toString();
        const fontSize = 12;
        const textWidth = font.widthOfTextAtSize(pageText, fontSize);
        
        // Calculate Bottom-Center position
        const x = width / 2 - textWidth / 2;
        const y = 30; // 30 points from the bottom edge

        page.drawText(pageText, {
            x: x,
            y: y,
            size: fontSize,
            font: font,
            color: rgb(0, 0, 0),
        });
    });

    // 4. Save
    const pdfBytes = await pdfDoc.save();
    fs.writeFileSync(outputPath, pdfBytes);
}

addPageNumbers('report.pdf', 'report_numbered.pdf', 1);

Frequently Asked Questions