Practical PDF tasks
Number a PDF after its cover, starting the body at page 1
Set up an 11-page document with an unnumbered cover and body pages 1–10, then check the first, middle and final pages.
A meeting pack has eleven PDF pages. Page 1 is the cover; the other ten are the document. You want no number on the cover, “1” on the first body page and “10” on the last. The trap is that PDF page 2 and printed page 1 refer to the same sheet.
Decide what belongs in the count
Before opening the tool, check whether the file contains anything between the cover and the body: a contents page, a blank sheet or a legal notice. If there are three preliminary pages, skip three, not one. Also look for numbers already printed at the bottom. Adding another set next to them makes references ambiguous.
For this example, use an unnumbered cover, continuous numbering from 1, and a footer centered on the ten body pages. If the pack is intended for duplex printing, consider mirrored positions on odd and even pages; for screen reading, centered numbers are usually easier to inspect.
Set the range and format
Open Add Page Numbers to PDF and upload the 11-page file. Choose the range that excludes the cover, or skip the first page. Select continuous numbering and set the starting number to 1. A simple “1, 2, 3” format is enough. If you choose a “Page 1 of 10” format, check whether the total is the ten numbered pages or all eleven document pages; the tool provides both modes.
Use the preview to inspect PDF pages 1, 2 and 11. The cover should have no added number, PDF page 2 should show 1, and PDF page 11 should show 10. Move the footer if a table, stamp or existing note occupies the same space.
Make a quick arithmetic check
Download the result and reopen it outside the editor. Confirm that it still contains eleven pages. Then spot-check a middle page: PDF page 7 should display body page 6. That catches the common mistake of selecting original page numbers instead of continuous numbers.
If you later insert an appendix or remove the cover, the printed numbers will not update themselves. Generate a fresh numbered copy after the page order is final. For an already numbered PDF, find the unnumbered source or edit the source document instead of stacking a second numbering system on top. Verify any existing digital signature after changing the file.