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In Pages (version 7), I can create a Bookmark and I can insert a link to a Bookmark. When linking to a Bookmark, the page number the Bookmark is on is visible. (That is, Pages is aware of what page number the Bookmark is on.)

image displaying that Pages is aware of the Bookmark's page number

Separately, I can also insert the current page number and it will automatically update when I add content at the beginning of the document and cause that page number to go to a different page.

Is there a way that I can insert a reference to a Bookmark's page number such that it will automatically update when I add content at the beginning of the document and cause the Bookmark to go to a different page? In the screenshot above, I'd like it to say (page 4) instead of (page #), and for 4 to auto-update as the Bookmark moves around the document.

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  • So ideally instead of just the page number being the link, you need also the word ‘page’ to be part of the link?
    – bjbk
    Commented Apr 23, 2018 at 14:44
  • No, I just need the actual number (in this example 4 to be generated based on a heading and stay up-to-date as the heading moves from page to page. I can type the (unchanging) word "page" myself.
    – Kerrick
    Commented Apr 23, 2018 at 15:17

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Interesting question! I checked the Add bookmarks and cross-references in Pages page and couldn't find anything that would achieve what you want.

I then turned my attention to MS Word, thinking that if I could find a way to do it in MS Word, perhaps then I could adapt it to work with Pages.

The good news is I've found a way to do what you want in MS Word, but the bad news is I haven't been able to replicate this in Pages. So as it currently stands I don't think this is currently possible in Pages.

I would recommend you provide feedback via Apple's Pages feedback page (Note: You can also access this from: Pages > Provide Pages Feedback.

Cross-referencing bookmarks in MS Word

In the interests of perhaps helping someone else come up with a solution for pages, (and in helping users of MS Word), here's how I achieved this in MS Word:

  1. Create your bookmarks as usual
  2. Add your links to your bookmarks throughout your document

  3. Now, let's say you have a bookmark called Diagram7 that's on page 10 and you're linking to that from the words "see Diagram 7" in a paragraph on page 3. To create your cross reference you would do the following:

    • place your cursor after the words you're linking from
    • now go to Insert > Cross-reference... to bring up the Cross-reference window
    • select Bookmark for your Reference type
    • select Page Number for your Insert reference to
    • select the Diagram7 bookmark in your list of bookmarks
    • click on the Insert button

  4. Now the page number will be displayed at the location your cursor was at

NOTE: Just like other fields within MS Word, when the value changes (e.g. the diagram moves to page 12, so the value needs to change from 10 to 12), you will still need to use the Update Field option as normal to update the values displayed.

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  • Interestingly when you load that Word doc containing cross-reference-link-as-page-number into Pages it keeps the number but loses the link.
    – Matt Sephton
    Commented Apr 26, 2018 at 20:51
  • Yes, I noticed the same thing. There appears to be no Pages equivalent to the PageRef field being used by MS Word to achieve this.
    – Monomeeth ♦
    Commented Apr 28, 2018 at 12:07
  • Thanks. But it won't auto update. You need to manually update it: Ctrl + A, Right Click, F9
    – Wayne Mao
    Commented Aug 15, 2023 at 23:48

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