pagecount

Pagecount (or page count) is the total number of pages contained in a document, publication, or other multi-page file. It is a standard piece of metadata used to describe the length of the work and to support navigation, printing, and indexing.

In PDF files, the page count is a fixed property derived from the document's page tree and is often exposed by libraries as PageCount. In word processing formats such as DOCX or ODT, the displayed page count is computed by the layout engine and may not be stored as an exact, portable value.

Multi-page TIFFs have a page count equal to the number of frames. EPUB and other reflowable ebooks typically do not commit to a single, device-independent page count; pagination depends on font size, margins, and the reader's settings. When a printed edition exists, publishers may supply a separate fixed page count for consistency across media.

Page count is used in catalogs, bibliographic records, and search systems to describe length and for citation. It also informs printing costs, royalties, and logistics in publishing.

Because page counts can vary across formats and devices, it is important to distinguish fixed pagination from layout-dependent counts. Converting between formats can alter the count, and front matter (introduction, foreword, etc.) may use different numbering schemes.