How to Add Page Numbers in Google Docs

Google Docs has become one of the most popular word processors and document creation tools. With its easy collaboration features, Docs makes it simple to work on documents with teams and co-authors. When creating long documents like reports, articles, books, or essays in Google Docs, you’ll likely want to add page numbers. Page numbers help give your document structure, allow readers to reference specific passages, and make citations easier.

Fortunately, adding page numbers in Google Docs is quick and easy. In this guide, I’ll cover everything you need to know how to add page numbers in Google Docs, including:

• How to insert basic page numbers
• Customizing the page number format and style
• Starting page numbering after the first page
• Adding page numbers in headers vs. footers
• Including the total page count
• Changing page number alignment and font

Let’s get started with the basics of adding page numbers in Google Docs.

Also Read: How to Voice Typing on Google Docs

How to Insert Basic Page Numbers

Adding basic page numbers to your document takes just a couple of clicks. Here’s how to do it:

1. Open the Google Doc you want to number.
2. Click Insert > Page numbers. This will open the page number menu.
3. Select a page number style. You can choose to add page numbers in the top corner or bottom corner.

Once you select a style, page numbers will automatically be inserted sequentially throughout your document starting from page 1.

The page numbers will update automatically as you add or remove content. You don’t have to adjust page numbers when the length changes manually.

Also Read: How to Draw in Google Docs

Customizing Page Number Format

While the default page numbering works fine, you may want to customize the look and feel of page numbers to match your document style.

Luckily, Google Docs gives you several options for customizing page number formats, including:

• Changing page number alignment
• Switching page number location
• Adding/removing page counts
• Formatting page number text style
• Starting numbering after the first page

Let’s go through each of these formatting options.

1. Changing Page Number Alignment

By default, page numbers align to the right. But you can easily change alignment to center or left justified instead.

To change page number alignment:

1. Click on any page number in your document to select it.
2. In the toolbar, click the Align icon.
3. Choose Left, Center, or Right alignment.

The alignment will be updated for all page numbers.

2. Switching Page Number Location

When you first add page numbers, you can choose to place them in a header at the top of the page or a footer at the bottom.

To change the location:

1. Go to Insert > Page numbers > More options.
2. Choose whether you want page numbers in the Header or Footer.
3. Click Apply to save the changes.

3. Including Page Count

You can include the total page count along with the page number on each page. This lets readers see how far along they are in the document.

To add page count:

1. With page numbers inserted, go to Insert > Page numbers.
2. Select the Page Count option.

This will automatically insert the page count before or after the page number, depending on your original page number style.

For example, pages will be numbered “Page 1 of 10”, “Page 2 of 10” and so on.

4. Formatting Page Number Text

You can customize the font, size, color, and styling of page numbers to match your document’s look.

To format page numbers:

1. Click on any page number to select it.
2. In the toolbar, use the formatting options to:

• Change font family and size
• Make page numbers bold, italicized, or underlined
• Switch to a different text color

The updated text formatting will apply to all page numbers.

5. Starting Numbering After the First Page

For documents like essays or books with titles and intro pages, you may want to skip adding a page number on the first page.

You can easily configure page numbering to start after the first page:

1. Go to Insert > Page numbers > More options.
2. Uncheck the box for Show on the first page.
3. Click Apply.

Page numbers will now start from page 2 onwards. By customizing the page number format, you can make sure numbering matches the look and feel you want for your document.

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Adding Page Numbers in Headers vs. Footers

When inserting page numbers in Google Docs, you have two location options:

• Header: Page numbers appear within the top page margin
• Footer: Page numbers appear within the bottom page margin

Headers and footers both work well for page numbering. Here are some guidelines on when to use each one:

• Header – Use a header to number pages if your document will be printed single-sided. Page numbers in the header are easy to see when flipping through printed pages.
• Footer – Use a footer to number pages in documents intended for double-sided printing. This makes page numbers easy to find on the front and back of printouts. Footers also keep page numbers away from your main text content.
• Consistency – Pick either the header or footer and stick with it throughout your document for consistency. Avoid having some pages with header numbers and others with footer numbers.

Within headers and footers, you can left, center, or right align your page numbers as needed.

Including Total Page Count

Along with the page number itself, you can choose to include the total page count on each page.
Adding the total page count is useful for longer documents so readers can see how far along they are.

To add page count alongside page numbers:

1. With page numbers inserted, go to Insert > Page numbers.
2. Select the Page Count option.

This will automatically add the page count before or after the page number, depending on your page number style.

For example, page 1 may show “Page 1 of 15”, page 2 “Page 2 of 15”, and so on. You can also customize the text and formatting of the page count to match your page numbers.

Also Read: How to Enable Grammarly in Google Docs

Changing Page Number Alignment and Font

Depending on your document style and formatting, you may want to customize the alignment and text font used for page numbers.

Here’s how to update page number alignment and font:

To change alignment:

1. Select any page number in your document.
2. In the toolbar, click the Align icon.
3. Choose Left, Center, or Right alignment.

To change the font:

1. Select any page number in your document.
2. In the toolbar, change the font family and size.
3. Optionally make the page numbers bold, italicized, or underlined.
4. You can also change the text color.

The updated alignment and font formatting will apply consistently across all page numbers in your document. With these options, you can make sure your page numbers match the look and feel of your document’s design.

Also Read: How to See Edit History in Google Docs

How to Number Pages in Google Docs – Recap

Adding page numbers in Google Docs is fast and simple with these steps:

1. Click Insert > Page numbers and select a numbering style.
2. Customize page number alignment, fonts, and location as needed.
3. Enable starting page numbering after the first page if you have a cover page.
4. Include page count along with page numbers to display total pages.

Correct page numbering helps organize and professionalize your documents. With the flexibility of Google Docs, you can add page numbers tailored to your specific document needs.

Next time you’re creating a long report, essay, or book draft, don’t forget to add page numbers. It takes just a few seconds and makes navigating your document much easier for both you and your readers.