Bates Numbering PDF

Bates numbering gives every page in a set of documents its own number, usually a short prefix and a zero-padded count such as ABC000001. Each page gets the next number, across all the files in the set, so no two pages share one.

Law firms use Bates numbers when they exchange documents in a lawsuit (discovery), file exhibits or put together a court appendix. Anyone can then point to an exact page, for example “see ABC000214”, and everyone finds the same sheet. Medical records, insurance claims and business audits use them for the same reason. The name comes from the Bates Automatic Numbering Machine, a hand stamp from the 1890s that printed a number and moved on to the next with each press.

1. Choose your PDFs, or drop them onto the box. They are opened in your browser, so nothing leaves your device.
2. Put them in order with the arrows. The first file gets the lowest numbers.
3. Set the prefix, the start number and the digits. ABC, 1 and 6 give ABC000001, ABC000002 and so on.
4. Click a spot on the little page to place the number. Bottom right is the usual place.
5. Check the preview with the arrows, then click Add Bates numbers and download.

One PDF downloads as a PDF. Several download as a ZIP with each stamped PDF and a bates-index.csv file listing each file's first and last Bates number. That is the production log you would otherwise type up by hand. Each file is named after its range, such as ABC000001-ABC000045.pdf; untick that under Fine-tune to keep the original name with -bates added.

A Bates number has up to three parts: a prefix that names the matter, party or client, a number padded with zeros to a fixed width, and an optional suffix. The zeros keep every number the same length, so files and pages sort in the right order.

Pick enough digits for the whole case, not just this batch. Six digits go up to 999,999 pages and suit most matters; large productions often use eight. The digits are a minimum, so a number never gets cut short: with 6 digits, page one million prints as ABC1000000. Keep the prefix short, and check any agreement or court order in your case for a required format.

For discovery and most document productions, use one sequence for all files. Every page in the case then has a different number, and that is the point of Bates numbering.

Some courts want each volume of an appendix or record to start again at page 1. Massachusetts appellate guidance, for example, says to number one volume at a time rather than running the numbers across volumes. For that, choose Restart for each file. Each file then gets its own run from your start number, and the file names keep the original name in front so they stay apart. Check your court's rules if you are not sure which it wants.

• Finish the page order first. Bates numbers become part of each page. Adding, removing or moving pages afterwards leaves gaps or puts numbers out of order. Remove unwanted pages with Delete PDF pages before you stamp.
• Keep clear of existing text. Bottom right is usual, but some scans have a footer or exhibit sticker there. Step through the preview and move the number or widen the margin if it overlaps.
• Cover or slip sheets. To leave the first page of each file unnumbered, tick that box under Fine-tune. The blank page does not use up a number.
• Locked PDFs have to be unlocked first. A file that needs a password to open or edit can't be stamped.
• Signed PDFs lose the signature check. Any change, including a Bates number, makes a digital signature show as invalid. Keep the signed original.
• Keep the unstamped originals. The tool saves new copies and doesn't change your files, but keep the originals with the CSV index in case a set has to be redone.

For ordinary “Page 1 of 10” numbering on a report or thesis, use Add page numbers to PDF instead.