Add page numbers to a PDF except the first page

Print page numbers into any of nine positions on the sheet, in Arabic, Roman or letter form, without rebuilding the document.

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.pdf · up to 300 MB

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How to Add numbers

1
Add your PDF
Drop one file or up to twenty into the box. The document is opened by your own browser, so nothing travels to a server.
2
Pick position and number format
Choose one of nine spots on the sheet, then a format: plain digits, Page 3 of 40, Roman numerals, letters or your own pattern with tokens.
3
Download the numbered PDF
Press the button and save the result. Several files come back as one ZIP archive.

What the two fields do

The page opens with 2 in “Start on page” and 2 in “First number”. The first field picks the sheet where printing starts, so page 1 stays exactly as it was. The second is the number printed on that sheet, and every later page counts up from it. With both at 2, page 2 reads 2 and the last page of a 20-page file reads 20: the printed numbers match the page counter of a PDF reader, and the cover still counts. Set “First number” to 1 when the page after the cover should read 1 instead.

Styles that print a total

“Number style” shows each option as it will print on the page in view, page 2 to begin with: on a 20-page file, “2”, “Page 2”, “2 of 19” and “Page 2 of 19”, then Roman numerals, letters and “Custom pattern”. The total counts only the numbered pages, 19 once the cover is skipped. For a total, either set “First number” to 1, so the count runs from 1 of 19 to 19 of 19, or choose “Custom pattern” and type Page {n} of 20 in “Pattern”: the 20 stays as typed, giving Page 2 of 20 through Page 20 of 20.

Where the number sits

The number goes at the bottom center unless you pick another cell on the page diagram under “Where the number goes”. “Margin from edge” under “More settings”, 36 points to start, sets its distance from the edge of the sheet; if the number would land on text on many pages, the result carries a warning and suggests 54 points. Font, size and color sit there too. To leave an appendix unnumbered as well, type a range such as 2-18 in “Pages to number”.

Numbering on a phone, then the next step

On a phone the PDF is numbered by the browser and nothing is uploaded; the preview shows each page with its number before you download. The file comes back as report-numbered.pdf: on an iPhone the download opens the Share sheet, and Android saves it to Downloads. In our check on October 20, 2026, a 20-page text PDF went from 145 kB to 89 kB, with 19 numbered pages and the number 2 on the second page. The row of next tools passes the numbered file to Watermark PDF or Protect PDF with no download in between.

Your file stays on your device

The PDF is read, numbered and rewritten inside your browser tab. There is no upload, no queue on a server, and no copy left behind for anyone to delete later. Close the tab and the document is gone from memory, which is why confidential contracts and medical reports can be numbered here safely.

Frequently asked questions

How do I skip the title page?

Set the first numbered page to 2. Page one is then left untouched, and numbering begins on the second sheet. If you also want that sheet to read 1 rather than 2, leave the starting value at 1.

Can I start numbering at something other than one?

Yes. The starting value is what gets printed on the first numbered page, and it can be any number up to 99999. Continuing a bound report at 47 or matching a printed original is a common reason to change it.

What formats are there besides plain digits?

Six more: Page 3, 3 of 40, Page 3 of 40, lowercase and uppercase Roman numerals, and letters that run a, b, c and then aa, ab. A custom pattern also accepts the tokens for number, total and file name.

Does it work with Cyrillic and Chinese characters?

Cyrillic, Greek and Western European letters, yes. The three built-in PDF fonts only cover Western European letters, so as soon as your pattern contains anything else, a Noto Sans subset is embedded, which adds 40 to 120 KB once per document, not per page. Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Arabic words in a pattern are not supported yet, because that font has no glyphs for them: on those pages keep the pattern to digits, which print in every style.

What happens if the number lands on my text?

The number is drawn on top, so the two would overlap visually. Increasing the margin or moving to another of the nine positions fixes it in one step, and the bottom centre position is clear on almost every layout.

Can I remove the numbers later?

Not selectively, because they become ordinary page content once saved. Keep the original file if you may need a clean copy. Running the tool twice stacks a second number on top of the first rather than replacing it.

Is my file uploaded anywhere?

No. Everything runs in JavaScript inside your browser tab, and the file never leaves your device. There is no account, no queue and no server-side copy, so even a two gigabyte document is handled locally.

How many files can I number at once?

Up to twenty. The same position, format and font are applied to every one of them, each file keeps its own page count, and the results come back as a single archive named pulsarkit-numbered.zip.