Page numbering is the small detail that elevates a document from "draft" to "professional". A 60-page proposal without numbers makes it impossible for reviewers to reference sections in a meeting. Academic theses, legal briefs, and government applications often mandate numbered pages — sometimes with specific position and format requirements. PDFKits Page Numbers adds customizable page numbers to any PDF in your browser, free, in under 10 seconds for a 100-page document.
The tool supports four position presets (top-left, top-center, top-right, bottom-center, bottom-right), three numbering formats (Arabic "1, 2, 3", lowercase Roman "i, ii, iii", uppercase Roman "I, II, III"), custom prefix/suffix ("Page 1 of 60", "1/60"), starting page offset (skip the cover page, start numbering at the introduction), and full font/size/color customization. The original PDF content is preserved exactly — numbers are added as a new content layer on top.
Drop the file into the upload area. PDFKits renders thumbnails so you can verify the document and decide which pages need numbers (often a cover page or table of contents is excluded).
Select position (corner or center, top or bottom). Choose format: simple Arabic numbers (1, 2, 3), Roman (i, ii, iii, often used for front matter), or a template ("Page X of Y"). Adjust font, size, and color to match the document's existing typography.
If your document has a cover page or table of contents that shouldn't be numbered, set the start page (e.g., page 3) and the starting number (e.g., 1 for the introduction or i for the TOC). Click Apply. PDFKits stamps numbers on the specified pages and downloads the result.
Universities mandate page numbers with strict format rules: lowercase Roman for front matter (abstract, acknowledgments, table of contents) starting at i, Arabic numbers starting at 1 for the main body. PDFKits supports this exact two-stage workflow.
Court rules in many jurisdictions require numbered pages with specific positions. Bates numbering (separate tool) handles per-document continuous numbering across exhibit sets; standard page numbers handle single-document needs.
A 50-page quarterly report becomes navigable in meetings when readers can reference page numbers ("see the chart on page 23"). PDFKits adds professional numbering without re-opening the source InDesign or Word file.
When several chapters from different contributors merge into one PDF, restart numbering at chapter breaks or run continuous numbering across the whole document — configurable per page range.
Adobe Acrobat Pro DC includes page numbering, but at $19.99/month. Online tools that add page numbers usually require upload, which is unacceptable for confidential legal or financial documents. PDFKits handles page numbering 100% in your browser via pdf-lib. Free, no signup, full customization, supports start offset for front-matter exclusion, and applies to documents of any length.
Yes. Set 'start page' to the page where numbering should begin, and 'starting number' to the value you want shown there (typically 1).
Yes, in two passes. First, apply lowercase Roman to pages 1-N (the TOC and front matter). Second, apply Arabic numbers to pages N+1 onward, starting at 1.
PDFKits places numbers in the margin area by default. If your document has very tight margins, you may need to adjust the offset, but it's rare for a properly designed PDF.
Yes. Pick the 'Page X of Y' template — PDFKits automatically substitutes the current page and total page count.
Helvetica by default. You can switch to Times Roman, Courier, or any embedded font from the original PDF.
Yes. PDFKits respects each page's rotation and positions the number relative to the upright orientation.