Bates Numbering for PDF
Stamp sequential Bates numbers on every page, with a custom prefix and start number. Runs in your browser — your document is never uploaded.
About Bates Numbering
Bates Numbering stamps a sequential identifier on every page of a PDF — a prefix, a zero-padded number and an optional suffix. It is the standard way documents are labelled for legal discovery, so that any page in a production can be cited unambiguously.
The practice is named after the Bates Automatic Numbering Machine, a hand stamp that advanced by one with each impression. The purpose has not changed: in litigation, thousands of pages move between parties, and everyone involved needs a way to say 'the third paragraph of ABC000472' and be certain they are all looking at the same page. Ordinary page numbers cannot do that, because every document restarts at one.
Two details distinguish a Bates number from a page number. It is zero-padded to a fixed width, so identifiers sort correctly when treated as text — without padding, ABC10 sorts before ABC9 in every file listing and database index you will ever use. And the sequence continues across documents rather than restarting, so the next file in a production picks up where the previous one ended. This tool shows the range it will apply and the number the following document should start at, which is the figure people most often lose track of.
The prefix usually identifies the producing party or matter, agreed between the parties before production so the same page is never labelled twice. Confidentiality designations are sometimes added as a suffix. Once applied, the numbers become part of the document as it is produced — which is why they are stamped into the page rather than stored as metadata, and why the original should always be kept unstamped.
How to add Bates numbers to a PDF
- Drop in the PDF you are producing.
- Set a prefix, usually the party or matter code agreed beforehand.
- Set the start number — continuing from the previous document, not restarting at 1.
- Choose the digit padding and where on the page the stamp should sit.
- Check the preview range, then stamp and download.
Tips & common problems
Always pad to a fixed width
Without padding, ABC10 sorts before ABC9 as text in every file listing and database. Six digits is the common default and covers a production up to 999,999 pages.
Do not restart the numbering per document
The whole point is a single unbroken sequence across the production. The tool shows the number the next document should begin at — record it before you move on.
Agree the prefix before you produce
Prefixes are normally negotiated so that no page can be labelled twice across parties. Changing one after production has begun creates ambiguous citations.
Keep an unstamped original
The number is drawn permanently into the page. Stamp a copy and archive the clean file, since you cannot cleanly remove the label afterwards.
Frequently asked questions
What is Bates numbering?
A sequential identifier stamped on every page of a document set so that any page can be referenced unambiguously. It is standard practice in legal discovery and document production.
How is it different from page numbers?
Page numbers restart at one for each document and describe position within it. Bates numbers run continuously across an entire production and identify a specific page globally, which is why they are zero-padded and prefixed.
What should the prefix be?
Usually a short code identifying the producing party or the matter, agreed between parties in advance so that no two pages ever receive the same identifier.
Is my document uploaded?
No. The PDF is stamped entirely in your browser, which matters given these are typically confidential legal documents.
Can Bates numbers be removed later?
Not cleanly — the label is drawn into the page content. Always stamp a copy and keep the original unstamped.
How many digits should I use?
Six is the usual default, covering productions up to 999,999 pages. Use more only if the production genuinely warrants it, since the identifier appears on every page and citation.