How to Add Page Numbers in Google Docs

Knowing how to add page numbers in Google Docs can be a complete game changer when you are working on lengthy documents and need to make sure that the structure of the document is clear.

Whether you are working on academic papers or extensive corporate reports, page numbers can help your readers to easily locate sections on your document. With the help of page numbers, navigation and referencing become seamless.

It is super useful when it comes to document management as well, as it helps users to easily track specific pages efficiently. Be it for revision purposes, or referencing during discussions and meetings, the page number feature makes document management and collaboration simple. 

And today, I am going to tell you how you can add page numbers in Google Docs.

Adding Basic Page Numbers to Your Google Docs

Before moving on to more lengthy ways of adding page numbers, let me first show you how to add basic page numbers in Google Docs.

1. To do this, first, open a new file in Google Docs and head over to the top menu bar.
2. On the top menu bar, click on ‘Insert.’

3. After you click on Insert, a drop-down menu will appear. Next, hover over the ‘Page numbers’ option.

4. On doing that, you will get the option to select the desired page number position. Here you can select if you want the page numbers to be present at the top or at the bottom of the pages.

Customize Page Numbers in Google Docs

Only adding the page numbers might not be enough for all users. You might also want to customize the appearance and format of the page numbers. To do this,

1. Go to the page numbers present on the top or bottom of the page after inserting them. And then double-click on them.

2. On double-clicking on the page number on the header/footer section of the page, it will become customizable. After this, you simply have to highlight the page number, and you can access the toolbar to modify its size, font, color, and so on.

3. Moreover, you can add text before or after the page number. You simply have to type in the desired text after your page number is highlighted.

Add Page Numbers on a Specific Page

It might so happen that in certain documents you want the page numbers to begin from a certain page and not the first page. In that case,

1. Head over to the ‘Insert’ menu again on the top menu and hover over ‘Break.’ Then, click on ‘Section break (next page).’

2. Next, navigate to the exact page from which you want the numbering to begin. On that page, double-click either on the header or the footer.
3. When you do that, you will find ‘Options’ appearing on your screen. Click on it and then click on ‘Page Numbers.’

4. And on doing that, a dialog box will appear. You will need to first uncheck the ‘Show on first page’ option here if you don’t want the page number to appear on the first page of your document.

5. Then select ‘Start at” and enter the number you want the numbering to begin with. And finally, click on ‘Apply.’

Adding Page Numbers Directly to Headers and Footers

If you are on a tight deadline and don’t want to follow these elaborate steps, I am here to share a shortcut with you to add page numbers in Google Docs.

For this,

1. First, head over to the Menu bar and click on the ‘Insert’ options.

2. On doing that, a drop-down menu. Select ‘Headers and footers’ on this menu. Click on either header or footer, depending on where you want the page number to appear. After you do that, you will notice the header/ footer appearing on your page.

3. Once you find the header/footer added to your page, go to the insert option on the menu bar again and click on it. Next, hover over the ‘Page numbers’ and select the position you prefer.

Add Page Count Along with Page Numbers in Google Docs

To make it easier for your readers, it is always advisable that you add a Page Count along with your page numbers. This gives a clear idea to your readers about how far they are in your document. To do this,

1. First and foremost, ensure that the page numbers are added to your document.
2. Then head over to the Insert option on the top menu bar. Click on it and the drop-down menu will appear.
3. Next on this drop-down menu, hover over the Page numbers option and you will find the ‘Page count’ option. Click on it.

Once you do that’ you will notice the page count showing after the page numbering. If you wish to separate the two, simply add an ‘of’ or ‘/’ between them. Do that on one page, and it would get applied to all the other pages too.

Removing Page Numbers from Google Docs

While I have given you a detailed round-up of all the ways in which you can add page numbers to your Google Docs, it is also essential you know how to remove them. In case you need to remove page numbers from your document, these are the steps you need to follow.

1. On the page that has the page number, head to the header or footer area where the page number is displayed. Then, double-click on the area.
2. Next, highlight the page number and press the ‘Delete’ button on your keyboard.

Conclusion

If you are a professional or someone who works a lot on documents, you need to know how to add page numbers to keep your document organized and professional.

Google Docs also allows you to customize how you want to add the page numbers, like the starting number, total page count, or adding page number one specific page.

However, when adding page numbers, you might notice that they are overlapping with the header or the footer text, and that reduces their readability