Numbers where people expect them
Tap a spot on the little page to choose where the numbers go: top centre, top right, bottom left, bottom centre or bottom right. Bottom centre is the default and the most common. Bottom right suits documents that will be flipped through on paper, since that’s where your thumb is.
Then pick a style. They’re shown as real samples so you see what you’ll get:
| Style | Looks like | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | 3 | books, reports, anything formal |
| Page 3 | Page 3 | documents printed and handed round |
| 3 / 12 | 3 / 12 | a compact count for slides and handouts |
| Page 3 of 12 | Page 3 of 12 | legal papers, applications, anything where a missing page matters |
“of 12” styles let the reader check that nothing is missing, which is why offices, courts and tender documents often ask for them.
Covers and starting numbers
Under More options:
- Skip the first page leaves the cover without a number. The count adjusts, so a 12-page file with a cover reads “Page 1 of 11” on its second page.
- Start counting from sets the first number. To keep the cover counted but not printed, skip it and start from 2: the second page reads “Page 2 of 12”.
- Size is Small, Medium or Large. Medium suits A4.
Starting from a later number is useful when a document continues another one, like an annexure that begins at page 41.
Merge first, then number
If you’re putting several files together, merge them first and add page numbers to the result. Numbering each file separately gives you three page 1s in one PDF. The same goes for moving pages around: do it in Organize PDF before numbering, not after.
Turned and landscape pages
Numbers are placed at the bottom of the page as you see it, even on a page that’s been turned sideways in the file. A landscape table in the middle of a report gets its number along its own bottom edge, not up the side.
How it looks
The numbers are small, dark grey and in a plain typeface, set a little in from the edge so a printer won’t cut them off. They’re real text in the PDF, so they print sharply and can be searched. You download a copy named like report-numbered.pdf. If it also needs a watermark or a signature, Add watermark and Sign PDF are the next steps.
Checked against the tool on 22 October 2026. How we write and test these guides