LaTeX \pageref Command
May. 23, 2025 • Updated May. 25, 2025
In LaTeX, we can use the \pageref command to “produce the page number of the place in the text where the corresponding \label command appears. ie. where \label{key} appears”12. Here is an example.
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\documentclass{article}
\usepackage[margin=1in]{geometry}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{graphicx,subfig}
\usepackage[
colorlinks,
linkcolor=blue,
urlcolor=blue,
citecolor=red]{hyperref}
\usepackage{lipsum}
\newcommand{\mylipsum}{\lipsum[1]}
\newcommand{\mylonglipsum}{\lipsum[1-4]}
\begin{document}
\tableofcontents
\section{Section}
\label{sec}
\mylonglipsum
\subsection{Subsection}
\label{subsec}
\mylonglipsum
\subsubsection{Subsubsection}
\label{subsubsec}
\mylipsum
\paragraph{Paragraph A} \mylipsum
\subparagraph{Paragraph A-1} \mylipsum
\subparagraph{Paragraph A-2} \mylipsum
\mylipsum
\begin{figure}[h]
\def\CE{0.20}
\centering
\subfloat[]{\includegraphics[height=\CE\textwidth,width=\CE\textwidth]{ctanlion.eps}\label{fig1-1}}\hfill
\subfloat[]{\includegraphics[height=\CE\textwidth,width=\CE\textwidth]{ctanlion.eps}\label{fig1-2}}\hfill
\subfloat[]{\includegraphics[height=\CE\textwidth,width=\CE\textwidth]{ctanlion.eps}\label{fig1-3}}\hfill
\subfloat[]{\includegraphics[height=\CE\textwidth, width=\CE\textwidth]{ctanlion.eps}\label{fig1-4}}
\caption{CTAN lion}
\label{fig1}
\end{figure}
\paragraph{Paragraph B} \mylipsum
\begin{subequations}
\begin{align}
&\mathrel{\phantom{=}} (a+b)(a^2-ab+b^2) \label{eq1-1}\\
&= a^3 - a^2b + ab^2 + a^2b - ab^2 + b^2 \label{eq1-2}\\
&= a^3+b^3 \label{eq1-3}
\end{align}\label{eq1}
\end{subequations}
\subparagraph{Paragraph B-1} \mylipsum
\begin{equation}
\begin{split}
&\mathrel{\phantom{=}} (a+b)(a^2-ab+b^2) \\
&= a^3 - a^2b + ab^2 + a^2b - ab^2 + b^2 \\
&= a^3+b^3
\end{split}\label{eq2}
\end{equation}
\subparagraph{Paragraph B-2} \mylipsum
\mylipsum
\begin{itemize}
\item Section \ref{sec} on Page \pageref{sec}.
\item Subsection \ref{subsec} on Page \pageref{subsec}.
\item Subsubsection \ref{subsubsec} on Page \pageref{subsubsec}.
\item Equation \ref{eq1} on Page \pageref{eq1}.
\subitem Subequation \ref{eq1-1} on Page \pageref{eq1-1}.
\subitem Subequation \ref{eq1-2} on Page \pageref{eq1-2}.
\subitem Subequation \ref{eq1-3} on Page \pageref{eq1-3}.
\item Equation \ref{eq2} on Page \pageref{eq2}.
\item Figure \ref{fig1} on Page \pageref{fig1}.
\subitem Subfigure \ref{fig1-1} on Page \pageref{fig1-1}.
\subitem Subfigure \ref{fig1-2} on Page \pageref{fig1-2}.
\subitem Subfigure \ref{fig1-3} on Page \pageref{fig1-3}.
\subitem Subfigure \ref{fig1-4} on Page \pageref{fig1-4}.
\item Reference \cite{bib-1} on Page \pageref{bib-1}.
\item Reference \cite{bib-2} on Page \pageref{bib-2}.
\item Reference \cite{bib-3} on Page \pageref{bib-3}.
\item Reference \ref{ref1} on Page \pageref{ref1}.
\item Reference \ref{ref2} on Page \pageref{ref2}.
\item Reference \ref{ref3} on Page \pageref{ref3}.
\end{itemize}
\begin{thebibliography}{1}
\bibitem{bib-1} \label{ref1} Reference 1.
\bibitem{bib-2} \label{ref2} Reference 2.
\bibitem{bib-3} \label{ref3} Reference 3.
\end{thebibliography}
\end{document}
Naturally, we can see that for references, \pageref can’t recognize labels created by the \bibitem, so if we want to realize the same effects as that of sections and equations etc., we could create a label for a bibliography item using the \label command and then refer to this label by the \pageref.
Besides, we can define a new command \mypageref for ease of use:
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\newcommand{\mypageref}[1]{\ref{#1} on Page \pageref{#1}}
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\begin{itemize}
\item Section \mypageref{sec}.
\item Subsection \mypageref{subsec}.
\item Subsubsection \mypageref{subsubsec}.
\item Equation \mypageref{eq1}.
\subitem Subequation \mypageref{eq1-1}.
\subitem Subequation \mypageref{eq1-2}.
\subitem Subequation \mypageref{eq1-3}.
\item Equation \mypageref{eq2}.
\item Figure \mypageref{fig1}.
\subitem Subfigure \mypageref{fig1-1}.
\subitem Subfigure \mypageref{fig1-2}.
\subitem Subfigure \mypageref{fig1-3}.
\subitem Subfigure \mypageref{fig1-4}.
\item Reference \mypageref{ref1}.
\item Reference \mypageref{ref2}.
\item Reference \mypageref{ref3}.
\end{itemize}
What’s more, we can see another practical use of the \pageref command in page numbering in blog3.
References