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About Bates Numbering
Stamps a running document number on every page of one or more PDFs, such as ABC000001, ABC000002 and so on, the way a legal production is numbered. Choose a prefix, a starting number and where the stamp goes, and add a second line such as CONFIDENTIAL if you need one. You also get an index (CSV) listing the first and last number of every document.
Number every file in one run with "Keep counting across files" on, so no two pages in the production share a number. Put the files in the order they will be produced before you start, because the numbers follow the list. Look at the preview before you download, and check a few pages of each file to be sure the stamp does not cover anything important.
- What is Bates numbering?
- It is a running control number stamped on every page of a set of documents, usually a prefix plus a padded number such as ABC000001. Lawyers use it for productions and exhibits so that any page can be cited by its number. The same idea is used in audits, data rooms and records requests.
- Can the numbers continue from one file to the next?
- Yes. With Keep counting across files on, the second file starts where the first ended, so no two pages share a number. Turn it off if each file should start again at the first number. The index preview shows the first and last number of every file before you run it.
- What do I get when I number several files at once?
- A ZIP file with each numbered PDF, named after the original with -bates added, and a bates-index.csv listing every document with its page count and its first and last number. For a single file you get the numbered PDF and a separate index to download.
- Does it add a mark when I use it on a trial?
- No. The numbered PDF is left exactly as stamped, because a production has to be clean. The tool still counts as one use of the daily trial allowance, however many files you number in the run.
- Are my documents uploaded?
- No. The files are read and stamped in your browser tab, and the numbered copies are made on your device. Nothing is sent to a server, and the files are gone when you close the page.
- Will it work on scanned or rotated pages?
- Yes. The stamp is placed on the page the way it looks when you open it, so a page stored sideways still gets its number in the chosen corner. Look at the page strip before you download to check that the stamp does not cover anything that matters, and use the white box option if the page is dark.
- Does Bates numbering make a document court-ready?
- It only adds the numbers and the index. Courts and parties have their own rules for the format of production numbers, confidentiality legends and file types, so check the rule that applies to your matter. The tool makes no claim about compliance.
How to use Bates Numbering
Drop one or more PDFs and put them in the order they will be produced. Type a prefix (for example ABC), the starting number and how many digits to pad to, then choose where the stamp goes. Add a second line such as CONFIDENTIAL if you need one, and decide whether the count runs on through all the files or starts again for each. The index preview shows the first and last number of every file. Press the button, look at the page strip, and download the numbered PDF, or a ZIP of the numbered files with a bates-index.csv for several.
When to use it
Use it when documents have to be produced, filed or exchanged with every page carrying its own control number: a discovery production, exhibits for a hearing, a due diligence data room, an audit pack or a set of contracts to be cited by page. The index tells you which numbers each document covers.
When not to use it
Do not use it for ordinary page numbers inside one document; Add Page Numbers does that, with Page X of Y and Roman numerals. It does not redact, OCR or flatten anything, so do those first: a stamp is drawn on top of the page and a later change to the page can hide it.
Tips for best results
Set Digits wide enough for the whole production, so every number has the same width, six digits for up to 999,999 pages. Put the files in final order before you run it, because the numbers follow the list. Use the second line for a confidentiality legend and keep it in a different corner from the number. Keep the index CSV with your production log.
Limitations
The stamp is plain black text in the standard Helvetica Bold font, half an inch from the edge, with an optional white box behind it. It is placed on the page as it appears when opened, so rotated scans get their number in the right corner, but it can cover content that reaches the margin. There is one prefix, one number sequence and one stamp per page. Password-protected and damaged files are left out and marked in the list. Court rules differ on the format of production numbers, so check the rule that applies to you.
Privacy
The PDFs are read and stamped in your browser tab and the numbered copies, the ZIP and the index are made on your device. Nothing is uploaded, stored or logged, and everything is gone when you close or reload the page. Your settings are remembered only while the tab stays open.
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