Adding page numbers in Adobe InDesign is one of those things that seems confusing when you first start designing a book, magazine, or document. The good news is that you don’t need to add each page number manually.
InDesign has an automatic page numbering feature that updates the numbers for you when pages are added, removed, or rearranged.
In this guide, I’ll show you how to insert page numbers in InDesign, how to place them on every page, and how to start numbering from a specific page.
How to Insert Page Numbers in InDesign
The easiest way to add page numbers is to place an automatic page number marker on a Parent Page. Once the Parent Page is applied to your document pages, InDesign will automatically display the correct number on each page.
Step 1: Open the Pages panel
First, open your InDesign document.
Go to:
Window > Pages
This opens the Pages panel, where you can see your document pages as well as your Parent Pages.
In newer versions of InDesign, Adobe uses the term Parent Page. If you’re following an older tutorial, you may see the term Master Page instead.
Step 2: Open your Parent Page
At the top of the Pages panel, you’ll see the Parent Pages section.
You’ll usually see something like:
A-Parent
Double-click the Parent Page to open it.
This is where we’ll add the automatic page number.
Parent Pages are useful for elements that need to appear repeatedly throughout a document, such as page numbers, headers, footers and logos.
Step 3: Create a text frame
Select the Type Tool (T) from the toolbar.
Draw a small text frame where you want your page number to appear.
For example, you might place it:
- At the bottom centre
- Bottom left
- Bottom right
- Outside the margins
- Inside the footer
If you’re designing a book with facing pages, you’ll normally want separate text frames on the left and right Parent Pages so the page numbers sit in the correct position.
Step 4: Insert the automatic page number
Click inside the text frame with the Type Tool.
Then go to:
Type > Insert Special Character > Markers > Current Page Number
You may see a letter such as A appear on the Parent Page.
Don’t worry — this isn’t your actual page number.
The A is the Parent Page marker. When you apply that Parent Page to your document pages, InDesign automatically replaces it with the correct page number.
For example:
A → 1 → 2 → 3 → 4 → 5
The numbers update automatically as your document changes.
Step 5: Apply the Parent Page to your document
Now you need to apply the Parent Page containing the page number to the pages in your document.
In the Pages panel, select the pages you want to number.
Then drag the A-Parent onto the selected pages.
You can also use the Pages panel menu to apply a Parent Page.
Once applied, your pages should show their correct numbers.
How to Change the Page Number Font
You can format the page number just like normal text.
Go back to the Parent Page and select the page number.
From the Character panel or Control panel, you can change:
- Font
- Font size
- Font style
- Alignment
- Tracking
- Colour
- Baseline position
For a book, keep the page number simple and easy to read. A small page number in the same typeface as the body text usually works well.
How to Put Page Numbers at the Bottom of the Page
If you want the page number at the bottom of your book:
- Open Window > Pages
- Double-click your Parent Page.
- Select the Type Tool (T).
- Draw a text frame near the bottom of the page.
- Click inside the frame.
- Go to Type > Insert Special Character > Markers > Current Page Number.
- Format the number.
- Apply the Parent Page to your document pages.
For a book with facing pages, create the page-number text frame on both the left and right Parent Pages.
How to Start Page Numbers From a Specific Page in InDesign
Sometimes you don’t want your book to start showing page 1 on the very first page.
For example, a book might have:
- Title page
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Introduction
- Chapter 1
You may want Chapter 1 to start at page 1.
InDesign allows you to create a new section and restart the numbering from a specific page.
Here’s how to do it:
- Open the Pages panel.
- Select the page where you want the numbering to restart.
- Go to Layout > Numbering & Section Options.
- Tick Start Section.
- Select Start Page Numbering at.
- Enter 1.
- Click OK.
Your selected page will now become page 1, while the pages before it can remain unnumbered or use a different numbering style.
How to Use Roman Numerals for the Front Matter
If you’re formatting a book, you may want the front matter to use Roman numerals:
i, ii, iii, iv
and then have the main book start with:
1, 2, 3, 4
InDesign can handle different numbering styles using sections.
Select the page where the new numbering should begin and open:
Layout > Numbering & Section Options
Under Page Numbering, you can choose the numbering style for that section.
This is particularly useful when formatting novels, textbooks, workbooks and other professionally designed books.
How to Remove a Page Number From One Page
You may not want a page number to appear on every page.
For example, you might want to hide the number on:
- Title pages
- Chapter opening pages
- Full-page illustrations
- Copyright pages
One simple way is to create another Parent Page without a page-number frame and apply it to those pages.
This gives you more control without having to delete the automatic page number from your main Parent Page.
Why You Shouldn’t Type Page Numbers Manually
If you’re working on a long document, avoid typing page numbers yourself.
Imagine you have a 200-page book and you manually type every number.
Then you add three pages near the beginning.
You would have to fix all the numbers after that point.
With InDesign’s automatic page numbering, the numbers update when the document changes. That’s one of the main reasons automatic page-number markers are so useful.
Common Page Numbering Problems in InDesign
My page numbers are showing as A
If you’re looking at the Parent Page, seeing an A is normal.
The actual page number appears when that Parent Page is applied to a document page.
My page number isn’t appearing
Check that the correct Parent Page has been applied to your document page.
Also make sure the page-number text frame hasn’t been accidentally deleted or overridden.
My page numbers start at the wrong number
Select the page where you want numbering to change and open:
Layout > Numbering & Section Options
Check the Start Page Numbering at setting.
My page numbers are on the wrong side
If you’re designing a book with facing pages, check the position of the page-number text frames on your left and right Parent Pages.
You may need to create separate text frames for each side.
Final Thoughts
Once you know where the page-number marker is, adding page numbers in InDesign is actually quite simple.
The basic process is:
Window > Pages → Open Parent Page → Create Text Frame → Type > Insert Special Character > Markers > Current Page Number
After that, apply the Parent Page to your document pages and InDesign will handle the numbering automatically.
If you’re formatting a book, using automatic page numbers is much safer than entering numbers manually. It also makes it easier to make changes to the document later without having to fix every page number yourself.