Add page numbers to a PDF
Number a PDF in any corner, with your own format and starting number, a live preview, and without uploading the file anywhere. Numbering is part of a ThekkelSoft Pro membership.
How to add page numbers to a PDF without uploading it
- Open your PDF — drag and drop it or browse from your device. It is opened directly in your browser, not uploaded.
- Pick a corner — six positions, with independent side and edge margins so the number clears your existing header or footer.
- Choose a format — a bare number, “Page 3 of 12”, or your own text using {n} and {N}. Set the starting number and, if you like, the range of pages to number.
- Download — the numbers are drawn into the page content and a new PDF is saved. Your original file is never modified.
Numbering that skips the cover and front matter
Reports and dissertations usually should not number the cover, and often not the contents page either. Type a range such as 3-40 in the Pages box: pages 1 and 2 are left clean, and the counter starts on page 3.
Because only the stamped pages are counted, a template like “Page {n} of {N}” reports the number of numbered pages rather than the raw sheet count — so the last page really does say “of 38” and not “of 40”. If you would rather it counted every sheet, leave the range empty and set Start at to a negative-free offset instead.
Numbering exhibits and multi-file sets
The custom template takes any text around the counter, which covers most exhibit-numbering work: EXH-A-{n}, Annexure 3 — {n}, or a matter reference followed by the number. To carry a sequence across several PDFs, note where one file ended and set Start at to the next value on the following file; each is stamped separately and the run continues unbroken.
Two limits worth knowing before you rely on it for a filing. The counter is not zero-padded, so you get EXH-9 and EXH-10 rather than EXH-000009; and the continuation across files is something you set, not something the tool remembers. Where a court or discovery process mandates true Bates stamping — fixed-width numbers, an auditable register — use software built for that. For ordinary bundles, annexures and appendices, a prefix and a starting number are what the job actually needs.
Assembling the bundle first is usually easier: merge the documents into one file, then number the result in a single pass.
Private by design
Most online page-numbering tools upload your document to their servers. Ours doesn’t — numbering runs inside your browser, so drafts, contracts and coursework never leave your machine, enforced by a Content-Security-Policy that blocks the page from talking to any third-party server. Read more in our privacy policy.
Finishing a document? Add a watermark, merge the sections together first, or annotate it in the full PDF Editor.
Frequently asked questions
Why do I need a membership for this tool?
Because it writes a new version of your document, and every tool that alters a document's contents is offered only to signed-in members who have accepted our Acceptable Use Policy — the undertaking to use them only on files you own or are authorised to modify. Numbering is part of a ThekkelSoft Pro membership. Nothing about your file changes: it is still numbered and saved entirely in your browser and never uploaded. Merging, splitting and compressing PDFs remain free and need no account.
Is there a page limit, or a watermark on the result?
Neither. Your document gets the numbers you configured and nothing else, on as many pages as it has — the work happens on your own device, so there is no per-page cost to pass on.
Can I add page numbers to a PDF without uploading it?
Yes. The file is opened, numbered and saved entirely inside your browser and is never transmitted. A Content-Security-Policy makes the browser block requests to other origins, so this is enforced technically rather than just promised.
Can I start numbering from something other than 1?
Yes. Set "Start at" to any number — useful when a document is one chapter of a larger book, or when the first pages are a cover and contents that should not count.
How do I skip the cover page?
Put a page range like 2-20 in the Pages box. Only those pages are stamped, and the numbering counts just those pages — so with "Start at" 1 the second sheet of paper becomes page 1, and "Page 1 of 19" stays truthful.
Can I change the format of the number?
Yes. Pick a preset like "Page 1 of 10" or "1 / 10", or write your own using {n} for the current number and {N} for the last one — for example "Annexure A — {n}".
Can I use it for Bates numbering?
For ordinary exhibit and annexure numbering, yes — put a prefix in the custom template, like EXH-A-{n}, and use "Start at" to continue the run across several files. It is not full Bates stamping though: the counter is not zero-padded, so you get EXH-9 and EXH-10 rather than EXH-000009, and continuation across files is something you set rather than something the tool tracks. Where a filing mandates fixed-width numbers and an auditable register, use software built for that.
What if my pages are rotated or different sizes?
The number is placed relative to each page as it is displayed, so rotated pages get an upright number in the right corner and mixed page sizes are each measured individually.
Can the numbers be removed later?
They are drawn into the page content rather than added as a removable layer, so they survive viewing, printing and re-saving. Keep your original file if you may need an unnumbered copy.
Related pdf tools
Shrink large PDFs — runs entirely in your browser, files never leave your machine.
Combine PDF files into one, with page reordering — files never leave your machine.
Extract pages, split by ranges, or save every page separately — all in your browser.
Turn Markdown, JSON, XML, YAML, CSV, HTML, plain text — or a stack of images — into a polished PDF, all in your browser.