If you want numbers shown on pages when you print a worksheet (worksheet: The primary document that you use in Excel to store and work with data. Also called a spreadsheet. A worksheet consists of cells that are organized into columns and rows; a worksheet is always stored in a workbook.), you can insert page numbers in the headers or footers of the worksheet pages. Page numbers that you insert are not displayed on the worksheet in Normal view — they are shown only in Page Layout view and on the printed pages.
You can insert page numbers for a worksheet in Page Layout view, where you can see them, or you can use the Page Setup dialog box if you want to insert page numbers for more than one worksheet at the same time. For other sheet types, such as chart sheets (chart sheet: A sheet in a workbook that contains only a chart. A chart sheet is beneficial when you want to view a chart or a PivotChart report separately from worksheet data or a PivotTable report.), you can insert page numbers only by using the Page Setup dialog box.
By default, pages are numbered in sequential order starting with page 1, but you can start the sequence with a different number. You can also change the order in which the pages are numbered.
What do you want to do?
Insert page numbers on a single worksheet
You can insert page numbers for a single worksheet by using Page Layout view. Page numbers are useful if your worksheet contains many rows and prints as multiple pages.
- Click the worksheet for which you want to insert page numbers.
- On the Insert tab, in the Text group, click Header & Footer.
Note Microsoft Excel displays the worksheet in Page Layout view. You can also click Page Layout 
on the status bar to display this view.
- On the worksheet, click Click to add header or Click to add footer.
This displays the Header & Footer Tools, adding the Design tab.
- To specify where in the header or footer you want the page number to appear, click inside the Left section, Center section, or Right section box of the header or footer.
- On the Design tab, in the Header & Footer Elements group, click Page Number.
The placeholder &[Page] appears in the selected section.
- To add the total number of pages, type a space after &[Page], type the word of followed by a space and then, in the Header & Footer Elements group, click Number of Pages.
The placeholder &[Page] of &[Pages] appears in the selected section.
- Click anywhere outside the header or footer area to display the actual page numbers in Page Layout view.
- After you have completed working in Page Layout view, on the View tab, in the Workbook Views group, click Normal.
Tip You can also click Normal 
on the status bar.
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Insert page numbers in multiple worksheets
You can insert page numbers on multiple worksheets in your workbook by using the Page Setup dialog box. This lets you add page numbers to multiple worksheets in a workbook, but each worksheet contains its own set of page numbers. For example, if your workbook contains two worksheets that are both two pages long, the first worksheet will contain two pages numbered 1 and 2. The second worksheet will also contain two pages numbered 1 and 2.
Tip To add page numbers to all worksheets in a workbook sequentially, you must change the number that each worksheet starts with. For more information, see Start numbering pages by using a different number.
- Click the worksheets or chart sheets to which you want to add page numbers.
How to select multiple worksheets
Tip When multiple worksheets are selected, [Group] appears in the title bar at the top of the worksheet. To cancel a selection of multiple worksheets in a workbook, click any unselected worksheet. If no unselected sheet is visible, right-click the tab of a selected sheet, and then click Ungroup Sheets on the shortcut menu.
- On the Page Layout tab, in the Page Setup group, click the Dialog Box Launcher
next to Page Setup.
- In the Page Setup dialog box, on the Header/Footer tab, click Custom Header or Custom Footer.
- To specify where in the header or footer you want the page number to appear, click inside the Left section, Center section, or Right section box.
- To insert numbers, click the Insert Page Number button
.
The placeholder &[Page] appears in the selected section.
- To add the total number of pages, type a space after &[Page], type the word of followed by a space, and then click the Insert Number of Pages button
.
The placeholder &[Page] of &[Pages] appears in the selected section.
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Set a different number for the starting page
Tip To number all of the worksheet pages in a workbook sequentially, first add page numbers to all worksheets in a workbook, and then use the following procedure to begin the page number for each worksheet with the appropriate number. For example, if your workbook contains two worksheets that with both be printed as two pages, you would use this procedure to begin the page numbering for the second worksheet with the number 3.
- On the Page Layout tab, in the Page Setup group, click the Dialog Box Launcher next to Page Setup.
- On the Page tab, in the First page number box, type the number that you want to use for the first page.
Tip To use the default numbering system, type Auto in the First page number box.
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Change the order in which pages are numbered
By default, Excel numbers and prints pages from the top down and then left to right on the worksheet, but you can change the direction to number and print pages from left to right and then from the top down.
- Click the worksheet for which you want to change the numbering order.
- On the Page Layout tab, in the Page Setup group, click the Dialog Box Launcher next to Page Setup.
- On the Sheet tab, under Page order, click Down, then over or Over, then down.
Tip The direction of each option is displayed in the preview box.
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Remove page numbers
- Click the worksheets or chart sheets for which you want to remove page numbers.
How to select multiple worksheets
Tip When multiple worksheets are selected, [Group] appears in the title bar at the top of the worksheet. To cancel a selection of multiple worksheets in a workbook, click any unselected worksheet. If no unselected sheet is visible, right-click the tab of a selected sheet, and then click Ungroup Sheets on the shortcut menu.
- On the Page Layout tab, in the Page Setup group, click the Dialog Box Launcher next to Page Setup.
- On the Header/Footer tab, in the Header or Footer drop-down box, click (none).
Note You may have to scroll to the top of the list to click (none).
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