Free Online Notepad with Line Numbers
This is a free online notepad with line numbers, but they're off by default — because most people writing a quick note don't need them, and we want the familiar Windows Notepad feel out of the box. When you do need them (code snippets, log files, anything structured where line position matters), they're one click away.
Open the notepad →How to turn line numbers on
Three ways, all equivalent:
- Toolbar: click the Lines button in the toolbar. The button stays highlighted while line numbers are on.
- View menu: click View → Line numbers.
- Keyboard shortcut: press Ctrl+Shift+L.
Line numbers appear in a gutter to the left of your text. They scroll in sync with the editor, so they always line up with the row they're labeling. The setting persists — if you turn line numbers on, they'll still be on next time you visit.
What line numbers help with
- Writing or pasting code: when you want to reference "line 42" without counting.
- Reading log files: paste a log, see line numbers immediately.
- Structured writing: screenplays, scripts, lyrics, recipe steps — anything where line position is semantic.
- Debugging quoted errors: if a stack trace says "line 71," you don't have to count to find it.
- Pair programming over a shared link: share a snippet via Ctrl+L, point at "line 8."
How line numbers work in this free online notepad
- They render in a separate column to the left of the textarea, painted from the actual content of your note.
- They scroll in sync with the editor — if you scroll your text down 10 lines, the gutter scrolls down 10 lines too.
- They use the same font and line height as the editor, so each number aligns precisely with its row.
- The text in the gutter isn't selectable, so it won't get copied accidentally when you select your note text.
- They work in combination with every other feature — markdown preview, dark mode, line numbers can be on with locked notes, etc.
How this compares
| Free online notepad | Line numbers? |
|---|---|
| onlinenotepad.app | Yes (toggle in toolbar + menu + Ctrl+Shift+L) |
| OnlineNotepad.org | No |
| aNotepad | No |
| online-notepad.io | No |
| JustNotepad | No |
Common questions
Can I turn line numbers on for some notes but not others?
Right now, the setting is global — line numbers are either on for all tabs or off for all tabs. If you'd find per-tab control useful, let us know.
Do line numbers count empty lines?
Yes. Every line gets a number, including blank ones. This matches every code editor's behavior.
Does it slow down with very long notes?
No. The gutter only renders the visible rows — even with 100,000 lines, it's fast.
Open the notepad →