Add Line Numbers
Paste your text and every line comes back with its number in front. Choose the starting number and the separator, pad the numbers with zeros so they line up, and decide whether blank lines are numbered or skipped. Free, no sign-up, and the text stays in your browser.
Separator
0 lines
How to Use the Line Numberer
- Pick a separator. Period, colon, parenthesis or tab, each followed by a space except the tab; or Custom, which starts as " - " and takes anything you type.
- Set the start number and options. The start number defaults to 1. Tick Zero-pad numbers to keep the columns aligned, and Skip blank lines to leave empty lines unnumbered.
- Paste your text and press Add Line Numbers. The output does not update as you type, so press the button again after changing an option.
- Copy the result. The line count sits under the output box.
What the Options Do
| Setting | Input | Output |
|---|---|---|
| Defaults (start 1, period) | First line, Second line, Third line | 1. First line, 2. Second line, 3. Third line |
| Start at 8, zero-padded | three lines | 08. …, 09. …, 10. … |
| Skip blank lines | a, an empty line, b | 1. a, an empty line, 2. b |
| Tab separator | First line | 1 + tab + First line |
Zero-padding works to the width of the last number the output will use. Numbering three lines from 8 ends at 10, so every number is padded to two digits; numbering 100 lines from 1 pads to three, 001 to 100. Without padding, the text after the numbers starts in a different place on each line in a monospaced font. With a tab separator you can paste the result into a spreadsheet and the numbers land in their own column.
With Skip blank lines on, the counter continues on the next line that has text, so a blank line never uses up a number. With it off, an empty line is numbered like any other and appears as a number followed by nothing.
When Line Numbers Are Useful
- Manuscripts for review. Journals and funders often ask reviewers to refer to "line 214", so check the author guidelines: many want continuous line numbers in the submitted file. A word processor's own line-numbering feature is the better choice there, because it numbers the printed lines and keeps numbering as the text reflows. This tool numbers each paragraph or line break, not each wrapped line.
- Poems, lyrics and scripts you are annotating. Numbering a copy of a poem helps you refer to it in your own notes. Do not cite your own count: MLA cites only line numbers that the edition you used prints. See How to Cite a Poem or Short Story in MLA.
- Code, logs and data. Numbered lines make it easy to say "see line 12" in an email or a bug report, or to give each record in a list an ID.
- Checklists and steps. Numbering a list of steps from a start number lets you continue an existing list, for example from 5.
Which Tool Do You Need?
| If you want… | Use |
|---|---|
| Numbers with a start value, padding or a separator | This Line Numberer |
| A simple 1. 2. 3. list inside a prefix or suffix job | Add Prefix & Suffix |
| Bullets, arrows or checkmarks instead of numbers | Bullet Point Generator |
| The number of lines in a text | Line Counter |
| Lines in order before numbering | Sort Lines |
Frequently Asked Questions
- How do I add line numbers to text?
- Paste the text, choose a separator and a start number, and press Add Line Numbers. Each line comes back with its number in front, and you can copy the whole result.
- Can I start numbering from a number other than 1?
- Yes. Type any whole number in the start number field, for example 0 for zero-based numbering or 42 to continue an existing list. If you clear the field, the start goes back to 1.
- What does the zero-padding option do?
- It pads every number with leading zeros to the width of the largest number, so a 100-line text is numbered 001 to 100. This keeps columns aligned in a monospaced font, and it makes the lines sort correctly as text, because 009 comes before 010, whereas an unpadded 9 sorts after 10.
- What happens to blank lines?
- By default they are numbered like any other line. Tick Skip blank lines and they pass through unnumbered while the count carries on at the next line with text. A line holding only spaces counts as blank.
- Can I use my own separator?
- Yes. Choose Custom and type anything, such as " - ", "] " or " | ". Spaces you type are kept, so include a trailing space if you want one between the number and the text.
- Is my text uploaded or stored?
- No. The numbering is done in your browser and nothing is sent to a server. Closing the tab clears the text.