If page numbers in Pages suddenly return to 1, check the section containing the first incorrect number. In a word-processing document, a section can start its own sequence; change that section’s Page Numbering setting to continue from the previous section. First confirm whether the file is a word-processing or page layout document, because the controls differ.

Find the section where numbering changes

In Pages, choose View > Page Thumbnails from the toolbar’s View menu. Click the page where numbering first goes wrong. In a word-processing document, the thumbnails show which pages belong to the selected section. Click a page just before the restart, then one just after it, and see whether the selection moves into a different section. A section break may have been added deliberately or may come from the document’s template; sections can have independent numbering and headers. Apple’s guide to sections

Continue numbering from the previous section

Select a page in the section where the numbering restarts. Click Document in the toolbar, then Section in the sidebar. Under Page Numbering, select Continue from previous section. Check the first page of that section and a later page to confirm the sequence proceeds as expected. Pages applies section formatting across the pages in that section, so selecting a page within the affected section matters.

If the control currently says Start at with a number such as 1, that setting explains the restart. Use Continue from previous section when the section should follow the preceding section’s numbering. Keep Start at when restarting is intentional, such as when a new part of a document should begin at 1. The two settings support different document structures; choose based on the sequence you want. Apple documents both options.

Check the right section and visible number

A common misstep is changing the section before the restart. If numbering looks unchanged, select a page that displays the incorrect number and inspect its Section settings again. Then select a page after it: an additional section may have its own setting. If you intentionally want different numbering in later sections, update only the sections that should continue.

If the number style changes as well, check Format under Page Numbering in the same Section sidebar. You can choose a numbering style there. In a word-processing document, Match previous section controls whether headers and footers carry over; it is separate from the Page Numbering choice. Matching the previous section’s header or footer does not by itself establish the numbering sequence. Apple explains the section and header controls.

If the document is page layout

Page layout documents use page-based controls rather than the word-processing document’s Section tab. Click a corner of the affected page so no object is selected, then click Format in the toolbar. If the sidebar does not show Page, click the page corner again. Under Page Numbering, set the page to continue from the previous page or choose a starting number. Apple describes this setting as applying to a page in a page layout document. See Apple’s page-number instructions.

If you are unsure which document type you have, check whether the document flows text from page to page or is arranged as individual page layouts. Don’t look for the word-processing Section controls in a page layout document; the guide provides separate steps for the two types.

If the number is missing rather than restarting

A hidden first-page header or footer can make a page number appear to disappear at a section boundary. In a word-processing document, select a page in that section, open Document > Section, and check Hide on first page of section. If the first page should show its number, turn that option off. Also make sure headers and footers are enabled under Document in the sidebar. Apple notes that turning off a header or footer removes its contents throughout the document, so avoid toggling those checkboxes as a quick experiment if they already contain material. Apple’s header and footer guide.

Confirm the result

Review the page before the change, the first page of the affected section, and the following page. For example, if the previous section ends on 8, a continuing section should begin at 9; a section deliberately set to start at 1 should still begin at 1. This is an illustration of the numbering settings, not a special Pages rule. If only the displayed sequence is wrong, correct the Page Numbering choice for that section. If the number is absent, check first-page visibility and whether the header or footer is enabled.

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