When you think of productivity tools that deal with numbers, the first options that come to mind are spreadsheet packages like Google Sheets and Microsoft Excel. Even presentation tools like Google Slides and PowerPoint are up there, but word processors don't necessarily jump at you. However, the page numbering at the top or bottom of most documents (such as business proposals, research papers, and academic essays) is usually done with a text editor, and Google Docs is no different.

The next time you're working on a document that's more than a few pages, take advantage of the feature to add a touch of professionalism to your output and make following everything more manageable. And if you print hard copies, it's easier to put the pages in order if they get mixed up during the process. This article shows you how to pull this off.

Page numbers can't be added to documents in pageless format. Go to the page view to access the function or to use headers and footers. If your document includes them, switching to the pageless format renders them invisible. Navigate to File > Page setup to change views.

How to add page numbers to Google Docs web

Working with Google Docs is relatively straightforward. Most of the formatting rules and tools are featured on the main toolbar. Here's how to add page numbers to your documents.

  1. Open the file to be numbered in Google Docs.
  2. Select the Format tab on the toolbar.
  3. Click Page Numbers beneath the Headers and Footers option. A pop-up appears in the middle of the screen.
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  4. Choose your preferred options, such as the position (header or footer) of the page numbers.
  5. Click Apply.
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You can also navigate to Insert > Page numbers to choose an option. If you don't see the format you want, select More options to open the Page numbers pop-up.

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Add page numbers to every page but the first

You can also make the numbering start from the second page. Double-click on the footer, select Options on the far right, and choose Page numbers from the drop-down list. Then, deselect the Show on first page option. This removes the numbering from the document's first page, while the second page starts at number two.

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What if the first page is a title page, and you want the second page to be numbered 1? This is also doable. Go to the Page numbers setting and ensure Show on first page is disabled. Then, enter 0 in the box beside Start at. This starts the page numbering from zero but prevents it from showing up on page one of the text.

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How to move a page number

The page numbers appear along the right margin of the document by default on both headers and footers. However, you can move them to the left or center. To do this, double-click the header or footer where the page numbers are located. Then go to the toolbar and select either the Left align or Center align options.

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If you want to customize the position even more, you can use the Decrease indent and Increase indent buttons on the toolbar. This moves the page numbering to the selected location just as it would highlighted text in a document.

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Almost all the usual formatting options are available for the page numbers. You can change the font type and size, text and highlight colors, bold, italicize, underline, and more. You can even bullet them with radio buttons or numbers if you wish.

How to add page numbers to Google Docs mobile

Typing on the Google Docs mobile app is anything but a productivity hack, even on the best Android phones. But some situations force you to use it. If you're ever in such a condition and need to number a document quickly, here's how:

  1. Open the document in the Google Docs app.
  2. Tap the Edit button (pen icon) in the lower-right corner.
  3. Tap the Insert (plus) icon.
  4. Select Page number (second to the last option). A set of four layouts displays, two with numberings on the bottom and two on the top. The two layouts in each set are then differentiated based on whether the numbering starts on page one or two.
  5. Select any of the layouts to number your document automatically.
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Just like the desktop web version, Google Docs mobile also lets you customize the position, change the look of the text, and highlight the colors of the numbering. Bulleting, underlining, and italicizing options are also available.

While the screenshots show the Android app, the iOS version is similar.

How to delete page numbers in Google Docs

If you don't want to show page numbers in the document, delete them. To do so, select the header or footer (where you inserted the numbering) and click Options on the far right of the display. Then, select Remove footer from the drop-down list.

On the mobile app, you can highlight and delete any number from page 2 and beyond. The entire numbering is removed, except for page 1, which you can manually remove.

How to add a page count

If you want to specify the number of pages at the end of a document, a page count is the perfect way to do that.

  1. Go to the Insert tab.
  2. Select Page numbers.
  3. Choose Page count.
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This automatically adds a page counter to the position of your cursor. The count updates when pages are added to or removed from the document.

You cannot add a page count on the Google Docs mobile app.

Make your essays and reports more professional

Whether you're a student writing essays or a professional drafting a business proposal, page numbers elevate the presentation of your writing. Follow the above steps to add numbering to your documents using the web or mobile application. Once you're done, follow the instructions in these posts to save your Google Docs article or export the Docs file.