Text Formatter

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add line numbers to text

Add line numbers to text online

The page opens with the "Number lines" step on and the option to skip blank lines enabled. Paste your text into the input, adjust the start number and separator on the step and copy the numbered result.

What the numbering controls

Three parameters shape the result. The start number, from 0 to 999,999, lets you continue a count from another excerpt (start at 41) or match code listings that count from zero. The separator sits between the number and the text and accepts \t for a real tab, handy when the result goes into a spreadsheet and the number has to land in its own column. And "Skip blank lines" leaves an empty line as it is without spending a number, which is what you want in a list with paragraph breaks.
Numbers are right-aligned with spaces, based on the width of the largest number that will appear. In a 10-line list the first becomes " 1." and the last "10.", and the text of every line starts in the same column. If your text uses Windows (CRLF) or classic Mac (CR) line breaks they are each treated as a single break, and one break at the very end of the text does not become a numbered ghost line.
To remove the numbering later, use a regular expression: the "Replace with regex" step with the pattern ^\s*\d+[.:]\s and an empty replacement strips the number from the start of each line, provided the lines are separated and the "m" flag is on. Because the numbering step counts lines and not paragraphs, a paragraph that your editor wrapped visually over several lines only gets one number if the break is real, so it is worth unwrapping paragraphs before you number.

Four ways to number

Default

Input: web-01 web-02 db-01
Expected output: 1. web-01 2. web-02 3. db-01

Start 1 and separator ". ".

Alignment with 10 lines

Input: a b c d e f g h i j
Expected output: 1. a 2. b 3. c 4. d 5. e 6. f 7. g 8. h 9. i 10. j

The 1 gets a leading space so it sits under the 10.

Skipping the blank line

Input: intro body end
Expected output: 1. intro 2. body 3. end

The empty line stays empty and does not use up a number.

Counting from zero

Input: SELECT 1 FROM t
Expected output: 0: SELECT 1 1: FROM t

Start 0 and separator ": ", as in code listings.

Full tool FAQ

Can I apply several transforms at once?

Yes, that is how the tool normally works. You build a chain of operations and it is applied in order to the input, with the result recomputed live. Each step can be reordered, switched off temporarily or removed, and the whole chain can be saved under a name for later reuse.

What is text formatting?

What is a slug and how is it generated?

Does removing accents change the text?

Why can a text contain problematic invisible spaces?

Do pretty JSON and minified JSON mean the same data?

Is converting everything to uppercase or lowercase always safe?

Does formatting solve bad content?

Why does the tool refuse some regular expressions?

Why does the character count sometimes differ from other editors?

Frequently asked questions

How do I start numbering from a different number?

On the "Number lines" step change the "Start at" field. Any value from 0 to 999,999 works, and the alignment width follows the last number in the list.

How do I put a tab between the number and the text?

Type \t in the "Separator" field. The engine swaps that sequence for a real tab, and the result pastes into a spreadsheet as two columns.

Does it count the lines of the text or the lines on screen?

The text lines: every real line break counts as one. A long line that the screen wraps visually is still one line and gets a single number.

Next steps

What the numbering controls

Three parameters shape the result. The start number, from 0 to 999,999, lets you continue a count from another excerpt (start at 41) or match code listings that count from zero. The separator sits between the number and the text and accepts \t for a real tab, handy when the result goes into a spreadsheet and the number has to land in its own column. And "Skip blank lines" leaves an empty line as it is without spending a number, which is what you want in a list with paragraph breaks.

Numbers are right-aligned with spaces, based on the width of the largest number that will appear. In a 10-line list the first becomes " 1." and the last "10.", and the text of every line starts in the same column. If your text uses Windows (CRLF) or classic Mac (CR) line breaks they are each treated as a single break, and one break at the very end of the text does not become a numbered ghost line.

To remove the numbering later, use a regular expression: the "Replace with regex" step with the pattern ^\s*\d+[.:]\s and an empty replacement strips the number from the start of each line, provided the lines are separated and the "m" flag is on. Because the numbering step counts lines and not paragraphs, a paragraph that your editor wrapped visually over several lines only gets one number if the break is real, so it is worth unwrapping paragraphs before you number.

Four ways to number

Default

Input: web-01 web-02 db-01
Expected output: 1. web-01 2. web-02 3. db-01

Start 1 and separator ". ".

Alignment with 10 lines

Input: a b c d e f g h i j
Expected output: 1. a 2. b 3. c 4. d 5. e 6. f 7. g 8. h 9. i 10. j

The 1 gets a leading space so it sits under the 10.

Skipping the blank line

Input: intro body end
Expected output: 1. intro 2. body 3. end

The empty line stays empty and does not use up a number.

Counting from zero

Input: SELECT 1 FROM t
Expected output: 0: SELECT 1 1: FROM t

Start 0 and separator ": ", as in code listings.

Full tool FAQ

Can I apply several transforms at once?

What is text formatting?

What is a slug and how is it generated?

Does removing accents change the text?

Why can a text contain problematic invisible spaces?

Do pretty JSON and minified JSON mean the same data?

Is converting everything to uppercase or lowercase always safe?

Does formatting solve bad content?

Why does the tool refuse some regular expressions?

Why does the character count sometimes differ from other editors?

Frequently asked questions

How do I start numbering from a different number?

On the "Number lines" step change the "Start at" field. Any value from 0 to 999,999 works, and the alignment width follows the last number in the list.

How do I put a tab between the number and the text?

Type \t in the "Separator" field. The engine swaps that sequence for a real tab, and the result pastes into a spreadsheet as two columns.

Does it count the lines of the text or the lines on screen?

The text lines: every real line break counts as one. A long line that the screen wraps visually is still one line and gets a single number.