Give every line its place in the queue.

What it does

Number Each Line adds a sequence to text that already exists. It is the tool for a packing list, an agenda, a set of test steps, a reading list, or a folder of filenames. The input is one item per line; the output is the same lines with a number inserted in front of each one.

The text itself is never rewritten. The tool only prepends a formatted number, so a line that starts with a space, a dash, or an emoji keeps that character. If you need to remove existing numbers first, use Clean Text or a find-and-replace pass, then come back and number the clean list.

Number formats

The format controls the punctuation between the number and the line. The same list can look like an outline, a legal document, or a set of steps depending on that single character.

1. Item

The default. A period and a space, familiar from numbered lists in prose and Markdown.

1) Item

A closing parenthesis. Common in meeting notes, quizzes, and older typed documents.

(1) Item

Parentheses on both sides. Useful when the number sits inside a sentence or when an outline already uses brackets for something else.

[1] Item

Square brackets. A common convention for references, tickets, and changelog entries.

1: Item

A colon. Reads like a label rather than a list marker, which suits definitions and key/value notes.

1 — Item

An em dash. Good for prose where a period would look like the end of a sentence.

Custom template

Put {n} anywhere in a template. “Step {n} —” gives “Step 1 —”, “Step 2 —”, and so on. The template can contain spaces, punctuation, or a word such as “Question”.

Blank lines and gaps

Real lists contain accidental blank lines. By default the tool leaves them blank and does not spend a number on them, so removing the blank lines later does not create a gap in the sequence. Turn the option off when the blank line is part of the structure and should be counted — for example, when a blank line separates rounds in a test and each round needs its own number.

The increment is not limited to one. Set it to five to number in fives, or to ten to create evenly spaced IDs. A negative increment counts down. The start value can be zero or negative, which is useful for temperatures, offsets, and version numbers.

Examples

Welcome and introductions
Budget review
Q3 priorities
Open questions

1. Welcome and introductions
2. Budget review
3. Q3 priorities
4. Open questions

The period format is the least surprising choice for an agenda that will be pasted into an email or a document. If the agenda already uses bullets, remove them first so the line begins with the number.

Unplug the router
Wait thirty seconds
Plug it back in
Check the status light

Step 1 — Unplug the router
Step 2 — Wait thirty seconds
Step 3 — Plug it back in
Step 4 — Check the status light

The template is repeated exactly, including the dash and its surrounding spaces. This is the format to use when a plain number would be ambiguous in running text.

cover.png
intro.png
chapter-01.png

[001] cover.png
[002] intro.png
[003] chapter-01.png

Padding keeps a list in the intended order when it is sorted as text. Without it, “10” sorts before “2” in many file managers and spreadsheets.

Limits worth knowing

• Existing numbers are not detected. The tool prepends a new number to whatever is on the line. A line that already begins with “7.” becomes “1. 7.” unless you remove the old number first.
• Padding is visual, not numeric. A padded number is still text. A spreadsheet may treat 008 as the number 8 unless the column is formatted as text.
• Very long lines stay on one line. Numbering does not wrap or reflow the content; it only adds a prefix. The line’s own whitespace is preserved.
• No roman numerals or letters. The number is always a decimal integer. For roman numerals, use a find-and-replace or a dedicated converter.
• Nothing is stored. Refreshing the page clears the list. Copy or download the result before leaving.

Page updated 27 October 2026