How to Add Page Numbers to a PDF (Skip the Cover Page)

To add page numbers to a PDF, open ToolMany's Add Page Numbers tool, choose your file, pick a position such as bottom centre and a style such as Page 1 of 10, and press Add page numbers. To leave a cover page unnumbered, set Start numbering on page to 2 before you save.

This guide explains which position and style suit which kind of document, how the cover and "of" total work, and what to check so the numbers never collide with your own footer.

Why page numbers still matter

Page numbers look like a small detail until someone needs to refer to a page. Reviewers write "see page 12", lawyers cite pages in correspondence, examiners expect numbered theses, and anyone who prints a long document and drops it will be glad of them. Merged files are the usual problem: each source file had its own numbering, or none, and the combined document needs one continuous sequence.

Step by step

1. Open Add Page Numbers and choose the PDF. A preview of the first page appears beside the settings.
2. Position. Pick Top or Bottom, then Left, Center or Right.
3. Style. Choose from 3, Page 3, Page 3 of 10, 3 / 10 or - 3 -.
4. Start page and first number. Leave both at 1 for a plain sequence, or see the cover-page section below.
5. Size and distance from the edge. The defaults (11 point, 28 points from the edge) suit most A4 and Letter documents.
6. Colour. Black for formal documents, gray when you want the numbers to stay in the background, blue to match a branded design.
7. Press Add page numbers and scroll through the downloaded file.

The numbers are written as real text, so they print sharply at any size and a PDF reader can search for them.

Choosing a position and style

"Page 3 of 10" is worth using whenever a missing page would be a problem. A reader can tell at a glance whether they have the whole document, which is why contracts and tender submissions often require it.

Leaving the cover page unnumbered

Most reports have a cover, and a number on the cover looks odd. Set Start numbering on page to 2. The first page is left exactly as it was.

Then decide what the second page should show:

• First number 1 if the page after the cover should read "1". This is the usual choice for reports.
• First number 2 if you want the printed number to match the physical page in the file, which some reviewers prefer.

The total in "of 10" is the number printed on the last page, so it stays correct either way. A 12-page file with a cover and numbering starting at 1 on page 2 ends with "Page 11 of 11".

Avoiding collisions with existing footers

Many documents already have something at the bottom of each page: a company footer, a confidentiality line or a form reference. Before saving, look at the preview:

• If the number overlaps footer text, switch to the top, or to a corner the footer does not use.
• Increase Distance from edge to move the number further in.
• Make the number smaller, or gray, so it reads as secondary information.

Keep at least 20 points from the edge if the file will be printed. Many office printers cannot print the outer few millimetres of a page, and a number placed there can be cut off.

Put the pages in order first

Numbering is always the last step. If you still need to move, rotate or remove pages, do it first in Organize PDF, or combine several files with Merge PDF. Adding numbers before reordering gives you a sequence that jumps around.

The same goes for other finishing touches. Add a draft watermark after the numbers if you need one, and lock the PDF with a password only at the very end, because a locked file cannot be edited further.

Sideways pages

Landscape tables and scanned receipts are sometimes stored in the file as portrait pages with a rotation flag. The tool reads that flag and places the number so it appears upright, in the position you chose, as the page is displayed. You do not need to rotate anything first.