What Is Bates Numbering, and How Do You Add It to a PDF?

If you've never worked with legal discovery documents, Bates numbering can look like an oddly specific feature. If you have, it's one of the first things you check for before sending a document set anywhere.

What Bates numbering actually is

Bates numbering stamps every page of a document, or a whole set of documents, with a unique, sequential identifier — typically a prefix followed by a zero-padded number, like ABC000001, ABC000002, and so on. It comes from legal discovery and case management, where being able to reference "page ABC000047" unambiguously, across potentially thousands of pages from multiple documents, matters far more than a plain page number that resets with every file.

How Bates numbering differs from ordinary page numbers

A regular page number just counts pages within a single document, usually restarting at 1 for the next file. Bates numbers are designed to be unique across an entire batch — the prefix identifies the source or case, and the number continues sequentially even across multiple separate documents, so no two pages in the whole set ever share the same identifier.

How to add Bates numbering step by step

1. Open Bates Numbering.
2. Drop in the PDF you want to stamp.
3. Set a prefix — for example, a case name or file code.
4. Set the starting number and how many digits to zero-pad to.
5. Choose where the stamp appears on the page.
6. Download the stamped PDF.

Tips for numbering a document set correctly

Plan the starting number before you begin a multi-document batch. If you're numbering several PDFs as one continuous set, the second file's starting number needs to pick up exactly where the first file's last page left off.

Pick enough digits for the full batch size. A 6-digit format covers almost any realistic batch; a shorter format that runs out partway through a large set means starting over with more digits.

This is often paired with redaction. Documents prepared for legal production frequently need both a Bates stamp and redacted sensitive content — Redact PDF handles removing sensitive information, and can be run before or after numbering depending on your workflow.

FAQ

Do I need a legal case for this to be useful? No — while it originates in legal discovery, any business that needs to track and reference specific pages across a large, multi-document set, like audits or compliance reviews, can use the same sequential-numbering approach.

Can I change the prefix partway through a document? No — one prefix and numbering sequence applies per run. For a batch that needs a prefix change partway through, stamp it in two separate passes with different settings.

Where does the number usually go on the page? Bottom right is the most common convention in legal work, but the position is configurable — pick whatever keeps clear of existing content on your specific document.