Adding Page Numbers to a PDF
Most thesis formatting guidelines, journal submission requirements, and grant applications specify page numbers — and it's a common last-minute scramble when you realize your exported PDF doesn't have them, or has them in the wrong format.
Why this trips people up
Page numbers are usually set up in the original Word or LaTeX document, but a few situations commonly break this: merging multiple PDFs together (each with its own separate numbering, or none at all), converting from a source that didn't have numbering configured, or a thesis requiring different numbering conventions for front matter (roman numerals) versus the main body (arabic numerals) that wasn't fully set up before export.
Upload your PDF to Scitero's Add Page Numbers tool — free, no sign up.
Choose position — bottom center is the most common academic convention, but bottom-right and top-right are also used depending on your institution's requirements.
Choose a starting number — useful if your title page or table of contents shouldn't be numbered "1," or if you're numbering a chapter that continues from a previous one.
Download and check the numbering against your institution's specific formatting guide.
⚠️ Check your specific requirements before submitting. Many universities require roman numerals (i, ii, iii) for front matter (abstract, table of contents) and arabic numerals (1, 2, 3) starting from the introduction — a detail worth confirming in your institution's thesis formatting guide rather than assuming.