# Scene numbers, locked pages, and production drafts > Leave scene numbers out of an ordinary spec unless requested; add and preserve them when a production needs stable references for breakdowns, schedules, and revisions. Sources reviewed: 2026-10-05 Article updated: 2026-10-05 ## Direct answer A submission or reading draft normally does not need scene numbers. Number scenes when the draft enters a production workflow or a recipient explicitly requests them. After numbering and page lock, preserve existing identities: inserted scenes take suffixes and removed scenes remain accounted for rather than forcing every downstream department onto new references. ## On the page Production scene numbers on both margins ``` Scene 24: INT. ARCHIVE - NIGHT Mara opens the blue box. Scene 24A: INT. ARCHIVE STAIRWELL - CONTINUOUS Footsteps climb toward her. Scene 25: OMITTED ``` ## Current practice ### Stable references matter more than tidy renumbering _Production-specific_ Schedules, call sheets, breakdowns, sides, and department notes refer to scene and page identities. Once those references circulate, preserving them prevents a revision from making every related document ambiguous. ## Accepted variations ### Unnumbered spec or submission draft _Widely expected_ Unless a recipient asks for numbers, keep the reading copy clean. Scene numbers and locked-page artifacts imply a production state that most submission readers do not need. ### Numbers appear on both margins _Production-specific_ A shooting script conventionally repeats each scene number to the left and right of its scene heading. That makes the reference visible from either side of a printed or annotated page. ### Inserted and omitted scenes _Production-specific_ New scenes commonly receive suffixes between existing numbers. Deleted production scenes remain marked OMITTED so collaborators know the number was intentionally removed rather than accidentally missing. ## Where reasonable writers disagree Some writers number private drafts for navigation, and some episodic or commissioned templates require numbers earlier. That local convenience is different from locking an issued production script; follow the receiving workflow, which decides when a script is in production. ## Mistakes to avoid - Numbering a spec because it looks more professional, even when no recipient asked for it. - Renumbering every later scene after an insertion once schedules and breakdowns already cite the old numbers. - Deleting a numbered production scene without an OMITTED placeholder. - Confusing locked pagination with password protection or editorial approval. ## Submission versus production ### Submission or reading draft Export an unnumbered PDF unless the current brief, fellowship, studio, or classroom assignment explicitly requests a numbered draft. Remove production revision artifacts that the recipient did not ask to review. ### Production draft Coordinate numbering, page lock, A-pages, omitted scenes, revision sets, and issue dates with the script coordinator or production office, which decides when a draft is officially issued. ## Working in Plot Plot keeps a reading copy clean and a production draft stable. A writer's-draft PDF prints no scene numbers, and the submission preflight flags any in a copy you are about to send. When the script goes into production, open Document settings and choose Apply numbering. Existing references stay unchanged and inserted scenes receive lettered numbers such as 24A. Lock the draft: revision pages print the numbers in both margins, mark every revised line with an asterisk, and name the revision color and date in the page header. The numbers show in the scene list and carry through FDX to the production office. ## Questions writers ask ### How do I add scene numbers in Inkwell Plot? Open Document settings from the Document sidebar or the command palette, review the preview on the Script tab, and choose Apply numbering. Plot preserves existing references and gives inserted scenes lettered numbers such as 24A. One Undo reverses the numbering. Numbers carry through FDX; a writer's-draft PDF stays unnumbered, while a locked production revision prints them in both margins. ### How do I add scene numbers in Final Draft? Choose Scene Numbers from the Production menu. Choose Scene Heading as the element, enable Number/Renumber, set the starting number, and confirm. The default start is 1. If you only want to number from the cursor onward, enable Number from Current Scene. Final Draft applies numbering when you run this command; it does not automatically number every new scene as you type. ### How do I keep existing scene numbers when adding a scene in Final Draft? In Final Draft, choose Scene Numbers from the Production menu with Keep Existing Numbers enabled. Existing references stay in place, and inserted scenes receive letter suffixes between them. Check that option before confirming: renumbering an issued draft can invalidate references in schedules, sides, and breakdowns. ### How do I hide scene numbers without deleting them in Final Draft? In Final Draft, choose Scene Numbers from the Production menu, open Options, and turn off the left and right number displays. The numbers remain assigned and can be shown again. Remove Numbers deletes the assignments instead. For a submission copy, export a separate PDF with the numbers hidden and check the resulting pages. ### Should a spec script have scene numbers? Usually not. Leave a reading draft unnumbered unless the recipient asks for numbers. Scene numbers signal a production draft, where schedules, call sheets, and breakdowns need stable references to point at. ### What happens to scene numbers when a scene is added after lock? The new scene takes a suffix between existing numbers — a scene inserted after 24 becomes 24A — so every later number, and every document that already cites one, stays valid. ### What does OMITTED mean in a shooting script? A numbered scene was cut. Its number stays in place marked OMITTED so the crew knows it was removed on purpose and the scenes after it keep the numbers everyone is already using. ## Sources and context - [Final Draft — Adding numbers and keeping existing scene numbers](https://kb.finaldraft.com/hc/en-us/articles/27810301418132-How-do-I-number-scenes) - [Final Draft — Hiding scene numbers without removing them](https://kb.finaldraft.com/hc/en-us/articles/16930746780052-How-do-I-hide-scene-numbers-in-a-numbered-script) - [Final Draft — Screenplay margins and production scene numbers](https://www.finaldraft.com/blog/what-are-the-margins-for-a-screenplay) - [Final Draft — Locking script pages and locking tools](https://kb.finaldraft.com/hc/en-us/articles/27817054455828-How-do-I-lock-or-unlock-script-pages-and-use-the-locking-tools) - [Final Draft — Omitting a scene](https://kb.finaldraft.com/hc/en-us/articles/27810683389460-How-do-I-omit-a-scene) - [Final Draft's current production scene-number guidance](https://www.finaldraft.com/blog/what-are-the-margins-for-a-screenplay) These sources document current screenplay practice, software guidance, or production workflow. Screenplay style remains flexible, and any delivery brief or submission rule supplied by the recipient takes precedence. ## Where to go next - [Lock a production draft in Inkwell Plot](https://www.inkwell.software/help/writing/revision-mode-and-colors): Follow the Inkwell workflow for locking pages, starting a colored revision, and exporting the revised script. - [Inspect scene numbers and production state in an FDX](https://www.inkwell.software/tools/fdx-inspector): Inventory numbered scenes, omitted scenes, locked pages, and revision sets in your own file before a handoff. - [Preview a numbered Final Draft screenplay](https://www.inkwell.software/tools/screenplay-converter): Open the FDX as formatted pages and check scene numbers in the margins before printing a reading copy. - [Locked pages, A-pages, and revision colors](https://www.inkwell.software/blog/screenplay-revisions-locked-pages-and-a-pages): How locked pages, A-pages, and colored revisions keep a production script's references stable. --- Canonical page: