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How to Remove Page Numbers in LaTeX
Three commands cover every case: \pagestyle{empty} removes numbers from the whole document, \thispagestyle{empty} removes them from one page, and \pagenumbering{gobble} removes them and stops counting pages entirely. The catch is that \maketitle and \chapter quietly override your choice — that's the part that actually trips people up, and it's covered below.
Whole document: \pagestyle or \pagenumbering
\pagenumbering{gobble} is the stronger alternative. It doesn't just hide the number — it stops the page counter, so cross-references and PDF bookmarks never see page numbers either:
| Command | Scope | Notes |
|---|---|---|
\pagestyle{empty} | Whole document | Also clears headers; counter keeps running |
\thispagestyle{empty} | Current page only | Overrides the global style for one page |
\pagenumbering{gobble} | From here onward | Suppresses numbers and the counter itself |
One page only — and the title-page gotcha
\thispagestyle{empty} handles a single page. The most common target is the title page, and there is exactly one rule to remember: \maketitle resets the page style of its own page, so your \thispagestyle must come after it.
If you're using the titlepage option or the titlepage environment instead, the title page is unnumbered already and none of this is needed.
Why chapter pages ignore \pagestyle
In book and report classes, \chapter issues its own \thispagestyle{plain} for the opening page. So you set \pagestyle{empty}, compile, and every chapter still starts with a centered page number in the footer. Nothing is broken — the class is overriding you, page by page.
Two fixes. Per chapter:
Or once and for all, redefine the plain style itself with fancyhdr so the chapter's override lands on an empty style anyway:
The second version is the one to use in a thesis — set it once in the preamble and stop thinking about it.
With fancyhdr headers you want to keep
If you use fancyhdr for running headers, the page number is just another field. Clear the footer and keep the rest:
Unnumbered front matter, then normal numbering
The standard thesis pattern: no numbers on the title page, abstract, and table of contents, then arabic numbers starting at 1 on the first content page.
\pagenumbering always resets the page counter to 1. That's a feature here, but it means you can't use it to merely toggle visibility mid-document — for that, switch page styles instead.
Frequently asked questions
How do I remove page numbers from the whole LaTeX document?
Put \pagestyle{empty} in the preamble, or \pagenumbering{gobble} after \begin{document}. gobble is the more thorough option: it also stops the page counter, so nothing downstream (like hyperref bookmarks) sees page numbers at all.
Why does my title page still show a page number after \thispagestyle{empty}?
Because \maketitle resets the page style of its own page. Put \thispagestyle{empty} AFTER \maketitle, not before it — order matters here, and getting it backwards is the single most common reason this 'doesn't work'.
Why do chapter pages still have page numbers with \pagestyle{empty}?
\chapter internally issues \thispagestyle{plain} for its opening page, overriding your global style. Add \thispagestyle{empty} right after each \chapter line, or redefine the plain style once with fancyhdr so every chapter page obeys.
How do I remove numbers from the front matter but number the rest normally?
Use \pagenumbering{gobble} at the start, then \pagenumbering{arabic} where real content begins. The arabic call resets the counter to 1, so your first content page is page 1 — usually exactly what a thesis format wants.
How to Remove Page Numbers in LaTeX
Three commands cover every case: \pagestyle{empty} removes numbers from the whole document, \thispagestyle{empty} removes them from one page, and \pagenumbering{gobble} removes them and stops counting pages entirely. The catch is that \maketitle and \chapter quietly override your choice — that's the part that actually trips people up, and it's covered below.
Whole document: \pagestyle or \pagenumbering
\pagenumbering{gobble} is the stronger alternative. It doesn't just hide the number — it stops the page counter, so cross-references and PDF bookmarks never see page numbers either:
| Command | Scope | Notes |
|---|---|---|
\pagestyle{empty} | Whole document | Also clears headers; counter keeps running |
\thispagestyle{empty} | Current page only | Overrides the global style for one page |
\pagenumbering{gobble} | From here onward | Suppresses numbers and the counter itself |
One page only — and the title-page gotcha
\thispagestyle{empty} handles a single page. The most common target is the title page, and there is exactly one rule to remember: \maketitle resets the page style of its own page, so your \thispagestyle must come after it.
If you're using the titlepage option or the titlepage environment instead, the title page is unnumbered already and none of this is needed.
Why chapter pages ignore \pagestyle
In book and report classes, \chapter issues its own \thispagestyle{plain} for the opening page. So you set \pagestyle{empty}, compile, and every chapter still starts with a centered page number in the footer. Nothing is broken — the class is overriding you, page by page.
Two fixes. Per chapter:
Or once and for all, redefine the plain style itself with fancyhdr so the chapter's override lands on an empty style anyway:
The second version is the one to use in a thesis — set it once in the preamble and stop thinking about it.
With fancyhdr headers you want to keep
If you use fancyhdr for running headers, the page number is just another field. Clear the footer and keep the rest:
Unnumbered front matter, then normal numbering
The standard thesis pattern: no numbers on the title page, abstract, and table of contents, then arabic numbers starting at 1 on the first content page.
\pagenumbering always resets the page counter to 1. That's a feature here, but it means you can't use it to merely toggle visibility mid-document — for that, switch page styles instead.
Frequently asked questions
How do I remove page numbers from the whole LaTeX document?
Put \pagestyle{empty} in the preamble, or \pagenumbering{gobble} after \begin{document}. gobble is the more thorough option: it also stops the page counter, so nothing downstream (like hyperref bookmarks) sees page numbers at all.
Why does my title page still show a page number after \thispagestyle{empty}?
Because \maketitle resets the page style of its own page. Put \thispagestyle{empty} AFTER \maketitle, not before it — order matters here, and getting it backwards is the single most common reason this 'doesn't work'.
Why do chapter pages still have page numbers with \pagestyle{empty}?
\chapter internally issues \thispagestyle{plain} for its opening page, overriding your global style. Add \thispagestyle{empty} right after each \chapter line, or redefine the plain style once with fancyhdr so every chapter page obeys.
How do I remove numbers from the front matter but number the rest normally?
Use \pagenumbering{gobble} at the start, then \pagenumbering{arabic} where real content begins. The arabic call resets the counter to 1, so your first content page is page 1 — usually exactly what a thesis format wants.
Getting Started
Text Formatting
Mathematical Expressions
Document Structure
Page Layout
Errors & Troubleshooting