How to add page numbers to a PDF

▶ 1. Why numbering matters

Page numbers are one of those details you only notice when they are missing: without them a long document is hard to cite, hard to discuss and hard to put back in order after printing.

• ✓ They let you point to an exact spot: “see page 14” only works if the pages carry a number.
• ✓ They make it possible to restore the order of a printed file that has come apart.
• ✓ They are the basis of a table of contents that is useful on paper too, where clickable links are of no help.
• ✓ In many professional settings they are simply expected: contracts, reports, tenders.

123 PDF Editor PRO adds numbering to an existing PDF without touching its content. It is a Chrome extension, so it needs no desktop software and works the same on Windows, Mac and Linux.

＋ 2. Adding the numbering

The job takes under a minute and applies to the whole document or to a range you decide.

1. Install the extension from the download page and open the file with Choose a PDF.
2. Open the Page Numbers tool.
3. Choose the number format among those offered.
4. Set the starting number, the position on the page and the margin.
5. Set the range of pages to number, if it should not be all of them.
6. Confirm and, when you are done, click Download PDF.

🔢 3. The available formats

The format changes how the number appears, and the choice depends on the kind of document.

• ✓ 1 — the bare number, discreet: suited to reports and formal documents.
• ✓ Page 1 — with the label in front, more explicit.
• ✓ Page 1 of 10 — shows the total as well: very useful on documents that will be printed and posted, because the recipient immediately notices a missing sheet.
• ✓ - 1 - — the number between dashes, with a more editorial feel.

▣ 4. Position and margin

The number has to be readable without clashing with what is already on the page.

1. Choose the position: bottom centre is the most classic and neutral placement.
2. Bottom right works well on documents that get leafed through, because the eye naturally lands there.
3. Adjust the margin so the number does not end up too close to the edge: outer margins are easily lost in printing.
4. If the document will be bound, allow for the binding side and leave more room there.

▤ 5. Cover and pages to exclude

In most documents the cover should not be numbered, and often neither should the contents page.

1. Set the range so as to exclude the opening pages that must not carry a number.
2. Use the starting number so that the visible numbering matches the logical one: if the body starts on the third page and you want that to be “1”, start the count there.
3. If instead you prefer numbers to reflect the physical position in the file, keep the numbering aligned with the real pages: that is the more sensible choice when the document will be read on screen.
4. Number the pages after settling their order: adding or moving pages afterwards means doing the job again.

➔ 6. Numbers, headers and table of contents

Numbering is the first piece of a set of elements that make a long document navigable.

1. Header and footer add the title, date or company name to every page: see the guide on how to add a header and footer. They can include the page number through the placeholders.
2. A clickable table of contents at the front completes the picture: the procedure is in the guide on how to create a table of contents.
3. If the document comes from merging several files, settle the order first following the guide on how to manage pages.

? 7. Frequently asked questions

The questions that come up most often on this topic.