How to Add Page Numbers to a PDF

Where the number gets placed

You choose one of six positions — top or bottom, aligned left, center, or right. That position is honored relative to how each page actually looks, not just its raw dimensions: a landscape page or a page rotated 90° still gets its number in the correct visual spot, not sideways or off the edge.

Choosing a starting number

By default, numbering starts at 1 on the first page. That's not always what you want — if this PDF is a continuation of another document, or the first couple of pages are a cover and table of contents that shouldn't count, set a different starting number and every page counts up from there.

How to add page numbers to a PDF

1. 1 Open the tool at pdfdistrict.com/page-numbers/ and select your PDF.
2. 2 Pick a position and a starting number. The default is bottom-center starting at 1, which suits most documents.
3. 3 Click “Add Page Numbers.” The numbered PDF downloads immediately, with every original page intact.

Common reasons to number pages

• Printed handouts — so readers can find "page 12" without counting sheets
• Legal or contract documents — where a specific page needs to be referenced unambiguously
• Long reports — paired with a table of contents that references page numbers
• Multi-part submissions — where this PDF continues the numbering of a previous file

Numbering a document you're about to reorganize? It's worth fixing the page order first, then adding numbers last so they match the final sequence.