Add page numbers to a PDF on your Mac
By Himanshu Ranjan · Updated 8 November 2026
To add page numbers to a PDF on a Mac with FileDial, select it in Finder, hold the right Option key and choose Pages › Add page numbers. Use Add page numbers (right) to put them on the right, Page numbers with format… for your own style, or Add header/footer text… for a title or date. A numbered copy is saved beside the original, and nothing is uploaded.
How to do it with FileDial
- Select the PDF in Finder; merge files first if they should be numbered as one.
- Hold right ⌥ and choose Pages › Add page numbers or Pages › Add page numbers (right).
- For a custom style, choose Pages › Page numbers with format… and set it.
- Add titles or dates with Pages › Add header/footer text…
- Check the numbered copy beside the original.
Your original file stays untouched. The result is saved beside it, and every result has Undo.
Which option to pick
| Tool | Use it when |
|---|---|
| Add page numbersPages | Plain numbering in one step; new copy beside the original, links and form fields flattened. |
| Add page numbers (right)Pages | You want numbers on the right; new copy, links and form fields flattened. |
| Page numbers with format…Pages | You need your own numbering format; new copy, links and form fields flattened. |
| Add header/footer text…Pages | Adding a title, name or date to pages; new copy, links and form fields flattened. |
Getting page numbers right
Page numbers matter most when someone else has to talk about the document: a reviewer citing page 14, a tutor marking a dissertation, a meeting walking through a report. Number the final file, after you have merged, reordered and removed pages, otherwise the numbers will no longer match. If the document is several PDFs, merge them first so the numbering runs continuously.
Think about where the numbers will sit. Bottom centre is the safe default; numbers on the right are easy to spot when flicking through a printed copy. Check that numbers don't collide with existing footers or scanned content near the page edge. A custom format is useful for conventions such as including the total page count or a prefix.
Headers and footers carry context that survives printing: the document title, a version, a date or your name. Because these tools flatten links and form fields, add numbers after forms are filled and links checked.
Why not number pages with an online tool?
Long documents that need page numbers are often the substantial ones: theses, grant applications, contracts, internal reports. Uploading them means trusting a site with your unpublished work. Cybernews reported in July 2024 that PDF Pro and Help PDF exposed 89,062 user-uploaded files through open Amazon S3 storage, including contracts and certificates.
FileDial numbers pages on your Mac, with Wi-Fi off if you like. The original stays unchanged.
Other ways to add page numbers on a Mac
Preview does not have a page numbering command. If you still have the source document, the easiest free route is to add page numbers in the app that created it, such as Pages or another word processor, and export to PDF again. Without the source, you could add a text box on each page in Preview, which is tedious for anything long.
FileDial works on the finished PDF directly: numbers on every page in one gesture, a custom format, headers and footers, batches of files, and Undo.
Questions
Can I number several PDFs as one sequence?
Merge them first with Combine › Merge PDFs, then add page numbers to the merged file. For legal numbering that continues across separate files, see Bates numbering.
Will adding page numbers change my original?
No. FileDial saves a numbered copy beside the original, which stays unchanged. Note that links and form fields are flattened in the copy, so keep the original for edits.
Can I add text like a title or date as well?
Yes. Pages › Add header/footer text… adds your text to the pages and saves a new copy. You can run it on the same file before or after adding page numbers.
Does it work offline?
Yes. Every FileDial tool runs on your Mac and works with Wi-Fi off. Your PDF is never uploaded, which matters for unpublished theses, reports and contracts.
Is it free?
There is a 1-day free trial with every tool, no card and no account. Then $20 once for a lifetime licence on 2 Macs, with a 14-day refund.