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indesign page numbers not showing

HeyBraza catches the real cause - the number marker placed on the wrong page or a parent that isn't applied - and points you to it.

you insert the current page number marker and get a letter (like 'a') instead of a number, or nothing shows on your pages at all. it's almost always about where the marker lives. here's how to get auto numbers appearing everywhere.

or do it yourself

  1. 1the marker must go on a parent page, not a document page - double-click the parent page (e.g. 'a-parent') in the pages panel to edit it.
  2. 2draw a small text frame with the type tool, then choose type > insert special character > markers > current page number.
  3. 3it shows the parent's letter (like 'a') on the parent - that's correct; it becomes the real number on document pages.
  4. 4make sure that parent is actually applied to your pages - drag it onto them in the pages panel if the numbers are still blank.
  5. 5if numbers sit off-page or hidden, check the text frame is inside the page margins and not behind another locked object.

let HeyBraza do this with you

HeyBraza is a tiny on-screen guide that points at the right buttons and talks you through it, on windows and mac.

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common questions

why does my page number show 'a' instead of a number?

that's correct on the parent page - the 'a' is the parent's prefix. it turns into the actual page number on every document page the parent is applied to.

my page numbers don't appear on any page - why?

the parent page holding the marker isn't applied to those pages, or the marker was placed on a document page instead of the parent. apply the parent in the pages panel.

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