Add Line Numbers To Text

Add line numbers — prepend sequential numbers to each line

Working on: add-line-numbers

PicoToolkit quickly prepends sequential numbers to every line of text. Use it to annotate lists, prepare transcriptions for review, or make long lists easy to reference. Numbering is simple and consistent — always starts at 1 and increments by 1.

How to use

1. Paste your text into the editor.
2. Open the menu: Add → Line Numbers.
3. Pick one of the output formats: 1, 1., 1), 1:, or 1,.
4. Apply numbering — each line receives a sequential number starting from 1.

• Numbering always starts at 1 and increments by 1. There is no custom start or step option.
• Empty lines are treated the same as non-empty ones and will receive numbers.
• To remove numbers later, use Remove Line Numbers.

Prepare the list

Clean or adjust your list before numbering using PicoToolkit helpers:

• remove duplicates
• remove empty lines
• filter out unwanted items
• add a prefix or suffix to each line
• remove HTML
• strip spaces

Examples (copyable)

Example 1 — Simple list (format "1.")

Input:
Apple
Banana
Cherry

Output (1.):
1. Apple
2. Banana
3. Cherry

Example 2 — List with empty lines (empty lines numbered)

Input:
Step one

Step two
Step three

Output (1):
1 Step one
2 
3 Step two
4 Step three
5 

Note: blank lines still receive sequential numbers. If you prefer to skip blanks, run Remove Empty Lines first.

Example 3 — Remove numbers after review

Workflow:
1) Add numbers (format "1)")
2) After review, remove them with Remove Line Numbers

Input:
Foo
Bar

After Add (1):
1) Foo
2) Bar

After Remove Line Numbers:
Foo
Bar

Tips & edge cases

• If lines already contain leading numbers or bullets, consider cleaning them with Find and Replace before numbering.
• To add formatted labels (e.g., fixed-width numbers with leading zeros), combine Add Line Numbers with Add prefix or suffix and Find and Replace as a workaround.
• For very large inputs, performance depends on your browser and device; split the text if the editor slows down.
• Use Trim to remove unwanted spaces around lines before numbering.

When you may need to add line numbers

1. Error messages: number log lines to reference specific entries.
2. Code or transcripts: make it easy to point to a specific line during reviews.
3. Legal or formal documents: add numbers for precise citations.
4. Lists and inventories: create a stable index for long lists.

FAQ

Can I start numbering from a number other than 1 or change the increment?

No. The tool always starts at 1 and increases by 1. For custom numbering schemes, export the numbered list and post-process it with Find and Replace or a spreadsheet.

Are empty lines numbered?

Yes. By default empty lines receive numbers the same way as other lines. To avoid numbering blank lines, run Remove Empty Lines first.

How do I remove the numbers later?

Use Remove Line Numbers to strip leading numbers and common separators added by this tool.

Are there input size limits?

There is no explicit server-side limit shown. Practical processing limits depend on your browser and device memory. If the editor becomes slow, break the input into smaller parts.