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PPDF123

Add Page Numbers to a PDF

Add Page Numbers prints a page number onto every page of a PDF as real text. You choose one of six positions along the top or bottom edge, the font size and the starting number; the digits are set in Helvetica.

Drag and drop files here, or click to choose

Accepts PDF · up to 500.0 MB per file · up to 20 files at once

You can also paste a file with Ctrl/Cmd+V, or from the clipboard menu.

Add Page Numbers draws a decimal page index onto every page as real PDF text. Reviewers who write "see page 12", print packets, and filing systems that need a visible number: those are the jobs.

The digits are Helvetica, in black, at the size and corner you set. There is no font choice. Starting number and position are honored: 1/2/3 are top left, center, right; 7/8/9 are the matching bottom corners. The portal default position is 8 (bottom center). The default start is 1.

Numbers become page content. They travel with the file. They are not a viewer-only overlay, and they do not rewrite the PDF page-label dictionary that some readers show in a thumbnail pane.

If pages already have printed numbers, a second set will collide. Split the cover off first if it should stay unnumbered. Merge first, then number, if the whole binder should share one sequence. Number first, then merge, if each part should keep its own start.

Starting at 101 is how volume II continues after a 100-page volume I. Values below a readable print size are a bad idea even when the API accepts them; 12 is the form default.

This does not change logical labels in every viewer. For title/author metadata, use Update Metadata. Password-protected files are unlocked for you on this page once you enter the password; API callers run Unlock first.

Only stamp documents you are allowed to alter. Keep an unstamped original when the filing process cares about an unmarked source.

Features

  • Draws Helvetica digits into page content (not a viewer overlay)
  • Honors starting number, font size, and corner position
  • Always Helvetica; there is no font choice
  • Anonymous API at /api/v1/misc/add-page-numbers

When to use this tool

  • Number a merged exhibit binder
  • Continue a sequence across volumes with a non-1 starting number
  • Give a print packet numbers reviewers can cite

How do I add page numbers to a PDF?

  1. Upload the PDF that needs visible page numbers.
  2. Set font size, starting number, and position.
  3. Click Process and download the stamped PDF.
  4. Check first, middle, and last pages so the digits do not sit on punch holes or photos.

Limits and edge cases

  • May overlap existing printed numbers
  • Always Helvetica; no font choice
  • Does not rewrite PDF page-label dictionaries
  • Upload limit on this website: 500 MB per file, sent in chunks above about 95 MB. A single direct API request body is capped at 100 MB.

Examples

  • Starting at 1 on a 40-page brief labels pages 1 through 40
  • Starting at 21 continues numbering after a 20-page volume I

Privacy for this tool

Files are uploaded over HTTPS, processed in memory or a short-lived temporary directory on our servers, and deleted when your result is ready. We do not keep copies for later browsing, training, or advertising profiles. See the Privacy Policy for retention details and AdSense cookie disclosures.

Frequently asked questions

Can I skip numbering the cover?
This tool numbers every page in the file you upload. Split the cover off first if it should stay unnumbered.
Can I change the font?
No. The numbers are always drawn in black Helvetica.
Do numbers become part of the PDF?
Yes. They are drawn into page content. They do not update every viewer's page-label dictionary.
Can I use Roman numerals?
No. The stamp is a decimal integer from startingNumber plus the page index.

Last updated:

Call this from code

Every tool on this site is a plain REST endpoint - no account or API key needed for anonymous use. Built for AI agents and developers as much as for browsers.

curl -X POST "https://pdf123.xyz/api/v1/misc/add-page-numbers" \
  -F "[email protected]" \
  -F "fontSize=12" \
  -F "position=8" \
  -F "startingNumber=1" \
  -o output.pdf

Also available as an MCP tool for agent clients that speak Model Context Protocol (JSON-RPC 2.0 over POST /mcp). Full API reference

Use it from an AI agent

Skill

Claude Code, Codex, Cursor and other AI agents can run Add Page Numbers for you with this skill: /skills/pdf123-add-page-numbers.md

All agent skills

Files are used only for this processing job and deleted automatically afterward.