Add Line Numbers
Paste text to prefix every line with a sequential number. Choose where the numbering starts, the separator after each number, and whether to zero-pad — all live in your browser.
How to add line numbers
- Paste your text into the box.
- Set the start number, separator and zero-padding; skip blank lines if you prefer.
- Copy the numbered result.
About numbering lines
Numbering lines makes text easier to reference and review — for code snippets, transcripts, checklists, survey items or any list where you need to point at “line 12”. A consistent separator and optional zero-padding keep the numbers neatly aligned.
You can start numbering at any value (handy when continuing from another document), choose the separator that follows each number, and zero-pad so 1–99 line up as 01–99. Blank lines can be skipped so only content lines are numbered. It all runs in your browser.
Line numbering is an old convention with serious uses. Court filings in many jurisdictions require numbered lines so objections can cite an exact spot. Screenplays, legislative bills and academic editions of classical texts all number lines for the same reason: a stable reference that survives quoting and discussion. When you number a document before circulating it for feedback, you are borrowing that convention — everyone's comments point at the same place without ambiguity.
Treat numbering as the final step. Once prefixed, the numbers become part of the text, so any edit that later adds or removes a line throws every reference after it out of date — and stripping numbers back out by hand is tedious. Keep the unnumbered original somewhere safe and renumber from it whenever the content changes. If a document will go through several review rounds, number each round fresh so citations always refer to the current version.
Frequently asked questions
Can I choose where numbering starts?
Yes. Set any start number — useful when you’re continuing line numbering from another file or want to begin at 0.
What separators are available?
A dot, parenthesis, colon, tab or single space between the number and the line — pick whichever suits your format.
Can it skip blank lines?
Yes — turn on “skip blank lines” and empty lines pass through unnumbered, so only content lines get a number.
Is my text uploaded?
No. Numbering happens entirely in your browser, so your text never leaves your device.
Why does a long paragraph get only one number?
Because numbering follows line breaks, not visual rows. A paragraph that wraps across five rows on screen is still a single line of text — one press of Enter ends it — so it receives one number. If you want every visual row numbered, you would need to insert hard line breaks at the wrap points first. This distinction matters most in transcripts and prose, where paragraphs can run long.