PrivatePDF

Add Bates numbers to a PDF

Bates numbering gives every page in a production a unique sequential identifier, so that everyone in a deposition can turn to ABC-0004821 and be looking at the same page. It is standard practice in legal discovery and there is remarkably little free tooling for it.

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How it works

  1. 01Open the PDF.
  2. 02Set the prefix, the number of digits, and the number to start from.
  3. 03Check the preview — the number appears on every page as you type.
  4. 04Export.

Continuing a sequence across documents

A production is numbered as one continuous run, not restarted per file. If the previous document ended at ABC-0001240, this one starts at 1241. That is why the starting number is a main control rather than something buried in an advanced panel — getting it wrong means renumbering an entire production.

Numbers follow the pages

The stamp is applied in output order, so if you reorder or remove pages before exporting, the numbering follows what you actually produce. A Bates number that did not match the page it sits on would defeat the entire point of the scheme.

Confidential material stays confidential

Discovery documents are exactly the material that should not be passed through a stranger’s server on the way to being numbered. Nothing is uploaded here — the file is opened, stamped and exported by your own browser.

Questions

Can I use a suffix as well as a prefix?
Yes. Both are free text, so ABC-000123-CONF is available if your protocol uses confidentiality designations in the identifier.
How many digits should I use?
Enough to cover the whole production without ever rolling over — six is the common default, giving just under a million pages. Changing the padding partway through a production produces identifiers that do not sort correctly.
Where does the number appear?
Bottom right, which is the conventional position. It renders live in the preview so you can see it against your own pages before exporting.
Can I number several files as one sequence?
Yes, one file at a time for now: note the last number used and set the next document to start from the following one. Batch processing across a folder is planned.