Add page numbers to PDF so the digits stay upright
Add page numbers to PDF in the corner or the centre you pick. If a page is rotated, the number is placed on the visual corner and drawn upright. You choose the format, the start number, and the first page that should receive a number. Existing numbers painted in the design are not removed.
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or drop / paste
How to add page numbers to PDF
- Add one PDF. Use the password you already know if the file is encrypted.
- Pick a position: a corner, or top or bottom centre. Set the format to 1, Page 1, 1 / N, or Page 1 of N.
- Set Start number and First page to number. The number drawn on a page is the start plus how far that page is from the first numbered page, not a count of how many stamps have been drawn.
- Choose Helvetica, Times, or Courier, a size, a colour, and a margin in points. Limit Pages if some pages should be skipped. The syntax is 1-3, 5, 8-.
- Press Add page numbers and download the PDF. Check a rotated page. The digits should still read upright. N in the formats that use it is the total page count of the document.
Add page numbers options explained
Position offers bottom left, bottom centre, bottom right, top left, top centre, and top right. The margin, default 28 points, insets the number from that edge. Size defaults to 11 and can run from 6 to 48. Colour defaults to #222222.
Formats are the digit alone, the word Page plus the digit, the digit slash N, or Page plus the digit plus of N. N is the number of pages in the file, not the number of pages you chose to stamp. The label is Latin text in the font you picked.
Start number can be 0 through 9999. First page to number skips earlier pages. A page is stamped only if it is at or after that first page and it is inside the Pages range. On a rotated page the number is counter-rotated so it stays upright in the visual corner.
How the printed number is chosen
The value is start plus the gap between that page’s number and the first page you chose to number. Start 1 and first page 3 means page 3 shows 1, and page 4 shows 2, if those pages are in range. If you number only odd pages, page 5 still shows 5 when start and first are both 1, because the gap is four pages, not a count of stamps.
Pages before First page to number are left alone. Pages outside the Pages range are left alone. The gap is still measured from the first page setting, so a skipped page does not pull the later numbers down. Read one result page before you send the file.
The font is Helvetica, Times, or Courier. The label uses those standard fonts, the same Latin-1 limit as a text watermark. The words Page and of are inside that set. The digits are not a form field. Flatten PDF is a different job unless the file also has fields you need burned in.
Numbers that were already on the page
This tool draws a new label. It does not hunt for an old footer and replace it. A slide that already says 4 will say 4 and also show whatever you just added, if that page is in range. Crop or cover the old mark yourself if both would show. This page does not do that cover for you.
Reordering pages afterwards will not renumber these labels, because they are drawn text. Organize PDF first, then add numbers. The producer line on the saved file is Upload Nothing (uploadnothing.com).
Limits, formats and output
| Accepted input | |
|---|---|
| Files per batch | 1 |
| Soft size warning | 200 MB or 1,000 pages |
| Hard stop | 500 MB total in memory |
| Output | PDF, or a ZIP when there is more than one file |
| Account | None. The tool runs in this tab. |
Your file never leaves your device
Page numbers are drawn by a script running in this tab. The work runs in a Web Worker in this tab, using WebAssembly for the heavy parts, and the result comes back as a local blob. This site does not upload the file, store it, or log its name.
To verify: load the page, turn on airplane mode, and drop the file again. It still finishes. Or open DevTools, choose Network, and watch the run: there is no upload. The architecture is described on How it works.
Frequently asked questions
Will the number turn with a sideways page?
The page may be sideways. The number is placed on the visual corner and drawn upright. That is deliberate. A reader looking at the page in its rotated orientation should see digits that are not lying on their side.
What does N mean?
N is the total number of pages in the document, including pages you did not stamp. Page 1 of N on a 12-page file says Page 1 of 12 even if you started numbering on page 2. It is not the count of numbered pages only.
Why did page 5 say 5 when I skipped the evens?
The printed value follows the page index relative to First page to number. It is not a counter of stamps. With start 1 and first page 1, page 5 is 5 even if page 4 was outside the range. Set Start number and First page if you wanted a different series.
Can I number only the appendix?
Yes. Set First page to number to the appendix start, and set Pages to that same span if the pages before it should not be candidates. Set Start number to 1 if the appendix should begin at 1. Check the first stamped page before you trust the rest.
Which fonts can I use?
Helvetica, Times, and Courier. There is no upload of another font for the digits. Size, colour, and margin are the other type controls. If you need a designed folio, draw it as a PNG and use Watermark PDF, and accept that it will not compute Page 1 of N for you.
Does this remove the old page number?
No. Ink already on the page stays. You get an additional label. Run this after Organize PDF if you are still moving pages. Running it before a reorder leaves the old labels on the wrong pages.
Last updated 2026-09-26. By Tam.