How to Add Page Numbers to a PDF Using C#

How Do I Add Basic Page Numbers to a PDF?

Using placeholder strings {page} and {total-pages} with either the TextHeaderFooter or the HtmlHeaderFooter class, you can add the current page number and total page count. This functionality is essential when creating new PDFs or converting HTML to PDF documents that require professional formatting.

:path=/static-assets/pdf/content-code-examples/how-to/page-numbers-basic.cs

using IronPdf;

// Create text header
TextHeaderFooter textHeader = new TextHeaderFooter()
{
    CenterText = "{page} of {total-pages}"
};

// Create html footer
HtmlHeaderFooter htmlFooter = new HtmlHeaderFooter()
{
    HtmlFragment = "<center><i>{page} of {total-pages}<i></center>"
};

// Render a new PDF
ChromePdfRenderer renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
PdfDocument pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf("<h1>Hello World!</h1>");

// Add header and footer
pdf.AddTextHeaders(textHeader);
pdf.AddHtmlFooters(htmlFooter);

pdf.SaveAs("pdfWithPageNumber.pdf");

The output PDF from the code above is shown below:

You can also add headers and footers with page number placeholder strings directly to the rendering options of the ChromePdfRenderer. This approach is useful when working with rendering options to customize your PDF output.

:path=/static-assets/pdf/content-code-examples/how-to/page-numbers-chromerenderer.cs

using IronPdf;

// Add header and footer to rendering options
ChromePdfRenderer renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
renderer.RenderingOptions.TextHeader = new TextHeaderFooter()
{
    CenterText = "{page} of {total-pages}"
};
renderer.RenderingOptions.HtmlFooter = new HtmlHeaderFooter()
{
    HtmlFragment = "<center><i>{page} of {total-pages}<i></center>"
};

string html = @"
    <h1>Hello World!</h1>
<div style='page-break-after: always;'/>
    <h1>2nd Page!</h1>";

// Render new PDF
PdfDocument pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html);

pdf.SaveAs("applyPageNumberWithRenderingOptions.pdf");

When working with complex documents, consider page breaks and custom margins to ensure page numbers display correctly.

How Can I Add Page Numbers to Specific Pages Only?

With IronPDF, you can control where page numbers appear. Make them start on a specific page or apply them to specific groups like even-indexed pages. This flexibility is valuable when generating PDF reports or working with documents containing different sections.

First, prepare the PDF document to apply page numbers:

:path=/static-assets/pdf/content-code-examples/how-to/page-numbers-preparation.cs

using IronPdf;
using System.Linq;
using System.Collections.Generic;

string multi_page_html = @"
    <p>This is the 1st Page</p>
<div style = 'page-break-after: always;' ></div>
    <p>This is the 2nd Page</p>
<div style = 'page-break-after: always;' ></div>
    <p>This is the 3rd Page</p>
<div style = 'page-break-after: always;' ></div>
    <p>This is the 4th Page</p>
<div style = 'page-break-after: always;' ></div>
    <p>This is the 5th Page</p>
<div style = 'page-break-after: always;' ></div>
    <p>This is the 6th Page</p>
<div style = 'page-break-after: always;' ></div>
    <p>This is the 7th Page</p>";

// Create header
HtmlHeaderFooter header = new HtmlHeaderFooter()
{
    HtmlFragment = "<center><i>{page} of {total-pages}<i></center>"
};

// Render PDF
ChromePdfRenderer renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
PdfDocument pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(multi_page_html);

// Create a Page Range 0..6
var allPageIndices = Enumerable.Range(0, pdf.PageCount);

:path=/static-assets/pdf/content-code-examples/how-to/page-numbers-even-pages.cs

// Get even page indexes (resulting in odd page numbers)
var evenPageIndices = allPageIndices.Where(i => i % 2 == 0);

pdf.AddHtmlHeaders(header, 1, evenPageIndices);
pdf.SaveAs("EvenPages.pdf");

:path=/static-assets/pdf/content-code-examples/how-to/page-numbers-odd-pages.cs

// Get odd page indexes (resulting in even page numbers)
var oddPageIndexes = allPageIndices.Where(i => i % 2 != 0);

pdf.AddHtmlHeaders(header, 1, oddPageIndexes);
pdf.SaveAs("OddPages.pdf");

:path=/static-assets/pdf/content-code-examples/how-to/page-numbers-last-page-only.cs

// Last page only
var lastPageIndex = new List<int>() { pdf.PageCount - 1 };

pdf.AddHtmlHeaders(header, 1, lastPageIndex);
pdf.SaveAs("LastPageOnly.pdf");

:path=/static-assets/pdf/content-code-examples/how-to/page-numbers-first-page-only.cs

// First page only
var firstPageIndex = new List<int>() { 0 };

pdf.AddHtmlHeaders(header, 1, firstPageIndex);
pdf.SaveAs("FirstPageOnly.pdf");

:path=/static-assets/pdf/content-code-examples/how-to/page-numbers-skip-first-page.cs

// Skip the first page
var skipFirstPage = allPageIndices.Skip(1);

pdf.AddHtmlHeaders(header, 1, skipFirstPage);
pdf.SaveAs("SkipFirstPage.pdf");

:path=/static-assets/pdf/content-code-examples/how-to/page-numbers-skip-first-page-and-dont-count-it.cs

// Skip the first page and start numbering the second page as page 1
var skipFirstPageAndDontCountIt = allPageIndices.Skip(1);

pdf.AddHtmlHeaders(header, 0, skipFirstPageAndDontCountIt);
pdf.SaveAs("SkipFirstPageAndDontCountIt.pdf");

Advanced Page Numbering Techniques

Beyond basic page numbering, IronPDF supports advanced scenarios including:

• Section-based numbering: Different numbering schemes for different document sections
• Roman numerals: Custom formatting for preface or appendix pages
• Multiple numbering systems: Combining different numbering styles in a single document
• Dynamic page counts: Updating total page counts when adding or copying pages

These techniques are valuable when creating complex documents like technical manuals, academic papers, or legal documents requiring sophisticated page numbering schemes.

Best Practices for Page Numbers

When implementing page numbers in your PDFs, consider these practices:

1. Consistency: Maintain consistent positioning and formatting throughout your document
2. Readability: Ensure page numbers are clearly visible and don't overlap with content
3. Accessibility: Use appropriate font sizes and contrast for easy reading
4. Professional appearance: Match the page number style with your document's overall design

Following these guidelines and leveraging IronPDF's flexible page numbering capabilities enables you to create professional, well-organized PDF documents meeting your specific requirements.