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Bates numbering for PDFs, free

Stamp SMITH000001, SMITH000002… on every page, counting on from one file to the next across a whole production, with an index of each file’s Bates range. Real text, added in your browser; nothing is uploaded.

Bates Numbering

Settings appear once you add a PDF.

To continue an earlier production, type the next number.

6 digits: ABC000001.

Continue the count from one file to the next In the order the files are listed. Off: every file starts again from the first number.
Advanced 7
White box behind the number Keeps the number readable over a dark or busy page.
Name each file by its Bates range ABC000001-ABC000045.pdf instead of the original name.
Size
Distance from the edge
Typeface

Bytes sent anywhere: 0 B

  • 100% private Your PDFs never leave this device. Everything runs in your browser.
  • No limits No file-size cap, no watermark, no sign-up and no daily quota. Free.
  • Batch ready Add as many PDFs as you like; each one is handled and saved in one go.

How to add Bates numbering to a PDF

  1. Add your PDFs: Drop every PDF in the production and put them in order with the arrows.

  2. Check the settings: Set the prefix, the first number and how many digits. The count carries on from the last page of one file to the first page of the next.

  3. Save the result: Save the numbered files, one by one or as a ZIP. With more than one file you also get an index listing each file’s first and last Bates number.

Why it doesn’t upload

A production is privileged and confidential material by definition: medical records, contracts, internal email. Here it is numbered inside your browser tab and never passes through a third party’s server, so there is no processor to list in a protective order and no copy to ask anyone to delete.

Check it in your browser’s Network tab

Worth knowing

  • Every page of every file is numbered. To leave a slip sheet unnumbered, take it out of the file first and number it separately.
  • The number is drawn on top of the page. If something is already printed in that corner, pick another position or turn on the white box.
  • This numbers pages; it doesn’t endorse them with confidentiality legends. For a CONFIDENTIAL line on each page, use Headers & Footers or Add Watermark.
  • Files that ask for a password when they open have to be unlocked first, because each file is rewritten.
  • Your court or the parties’ agreement may set the format. Check the protocol for prefix, digits and position before you produce.

Under the hood

What happens to your file

Each page gets its label (prefix, zero-padded number, suffix) drawn as real text with pdf-lib, in the corner you choose on the page as displayed. Files are numbered in the order listed, and the count carries from the last page of one file to the first of the next; the index CSV is built from the same count, so it always matches the pages. The white box, if chosen, is a filled rectangle drawn under the number, over the page.

Runs on pdf-lib

Reference: pdf-lib documentation · ISO 32000-2 (PDF 2.0)

Why Bates number documents in your browser?

Bates numbers give every page in a production a unique reference, so lawyers, courts and auditors can cite any page exactly. Acrobat Pro can do it, but at a price; many online tools upload the production — privileged, confidential material — to do it.

Here the numbering runs in your browser with your prefix, padding and starting number, continuing across files in order, with an index of each file’s range.

Common uses for Bates numbering

  • Litigation discovery

    Number a document production before serving it.

  • Due diligence data rooms

    Give every page of a deal’s documents a reference.

  • Audits and investigations

    Number evidence and supporting documents for citation.

  • Medical record productions

    Number records produced in injury or malpractice cases.

  • Continuing an earlier production

    Start at the next unused number with the same prefix.

Tips for Bates numbering a production

  1. Settle the final file order before numbering — Bates numbers are permanent references.
  2. Choose enough digits for the whole set: six covers 999,999 pages.
  3. Turn on the white box if the corner is busy or dark.
  4. Keep the index CSV with the production; it records every range used.
  5. Add confidentiality legends separately with Headers & Footers.

Questions

What is Bates numbering?

A unique number stamped on every page of a set of documents — SMITH000001 to SMITH004210 — so any page can be cited exactly in a legal case or an audit. Unlike page numbers, the count runs on across every file in the set.

How do I add Bates numbers to a PDF for free?

Drop the PDFs here, set a prefix and the first number, and press Add Bates numbers. The numbers are written into each page as text, so they print and can be searched, with no Acrobat, account or watermark.

Can the numbering continue across several PDFs?

Yes, that’s the default. Put the files in production order with the arrows; the first page of each file takes the number after the last page of the one before. The index shows every file’s range.

How do I continue from an earlier production?

Type the next unused number in First number. If the last production ended at ABC001250, start this one at 1251 with the same prefix and digits.

Are the Bates numbers searchable?

Yes. They are real text in the PDF, so searching for ABC000123 in any viewer jumps to that page.

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