Why add page numbers to a PDF
Page numbers are how readers navigate anything longer than a flyer. They make citations possible ("see page 47"), they're required for legal filings and academic papers, and they're a hard requirement for most government forms.
If your source app didn't number pages — or you merged multiple PDFs and the numbering reset — adding them post-hoc takes seconds. PrivacyScanPDF does it locally, no upload, no signup.
How to add page numbers
Three steps:
- 1Open the Add Page Numbers tool and load your PDF.
- 2Pick position (top/bottom, left/center/right), format (1, 1 of N, i, ii, iii…), font size, and starting page number.
- 3Hit 'Add Page Numbers'. The paginated PDF downloads immediately, processed in your browser.
Tips for clean pagination
Skip the cover page. Set the starting page to 2 or higher so your title page stays clean. Or use Roman numerals (i, ii, iii) for front matter and Arabic (1, 2, 3) for the body — the academic standard.
Match the document's existing font. If the body is serif, use a serif number font. Sans-serif body, sans-serif numbers. Consistency reads as professionalism.
For two-sided printing
If you're printing double-sided, alternate left/right placement so page numbers always sit on the outer edge — easier to thumb through, easier to reference in a meeting. Most professional books do this; most PDF tools don't, because it's a small detail nobody asks for until they need it.
Privacy-first pagination
Server-based page-numbering tools upload your entire PDF. For sensitive documents — contracts, medical records, legal filings — that's a real privacy risk for what's essentially a 50-line text overlay.
PrivacyScanPDF paginates as JavaScript in your browser. No upload, no temporary storage, no third-party access. The file stays on your device from start to finish.