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Apply Sequential Bates Stamps to Legal PDFs

Stamp sequential legal Bates numbers across one or many PDFs.

Apply Sequential Bates Stamps to Legal PDFs

Stamp sequential legal Bates numbers across one or many PDFs.

Why use PDFWix to bates-number PDFs

Common uses for bates-numbering PDFs

How to Bates Stamp Discovery Documents

  1. Add documents in order — Drop all PDFs for the production. Numbering continues from file to file in the order listed.
  2. Set prefix, start and digits — Enter the prefix and optional suffix, the first number and how many digits to pad to.
  3. Choose a position — Bottom-right is standard; bottom-centre, bottom-left and top-right are also available.
  4. Apply and download — Click Apply Bates numbers. Files are named by their Bates range.

Tips for Bates numbering

Bates numbering options compared

ToolCostMulti-file sequenceDocuments uploaded
PDFWix Bates NumberingFree✓ Yes✗ No — on your device
Adobe Acrobat ProPaid subscription✓ Yes✗ No
Litigation support platformsPer-matter fees✓ Yes✓ Yes
Manual stampingStaff timeError-prone✗ No

Tools commonly used to Bates stamp PDFs.

Related tools

Quick answer

To Bates number PDFs free: open PDFWix Bates Numbering, add your documents in production order, set the prefix (e.g. SMITH), start number and digits (6 gives SMITH000001), pick a corner, and click Apply Bates numbers. Each file downloads named by its Bates range.

How PDFWix Bates Numbering works

PDFWix Bates Numbering stamps each page with prefix + zero-padded counter + suffix (e.g. ABC000001) in Helvetica Bold inside the page crop box, and continues the counter across all files in the order they were added, naming each output after its Bates range (ABC000001-ABC000045.pdf). Numbers are drawn into the page content, so they print and survive flattening. Documents are processed with pdf-lib in the browser and never uploaded.

What is Bates numbering?

Bates numbering is a method of indexing legal documents with a unique, sequential identifier on every page. It is named after the Bates Automatic Numbering-Machine, a hand stamp patented in the 1890s. A typical Bates number combines a prefix identifying the party or case (SMITH, ACME-PROD), a fixed-width number padded with zeros (000001), and sometimes a suffix such as -CONF for confidential material. Because the sequence continues across the entire production, a Bates number identifies not just a page but its exact place in everything exchanged. That is why order matters: add files in the order they should be produced. Courts and opposing counsel usually expect the stamp in the lower-right corner, clear of existing content — the PDFWix default.

At a glance

Numbering: Continues across files · Padding: 1–10 digits · Processing: 100% in your browser

The bottom line

Redact before you number: use Redact PDF to remove privileged text, then Bates stamp the production here.

Frequently asked questions

What is a Bates number?

A unique, sequential identifier stamped on every page of legal documents, such as SMITH000001, used to reference pages in litigation and discovery.

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

Open PDFWix Bates Numbering, add the PDFs, set a prefix and start number and click Apply Bates numbers.

Does numbering continue across multiple PDFs?

Yes. The counter continues from one file to the next in the order you added them.

Where should Bates numbers go?

Usually the lower-right corner, clear of text. PDFWix also offers bottom-centre, bottom-left and top-right.

Can I add a suffix like CONFIDENTIAL?

Yes. Type it in the Suffix box, e.g. -CONF.

Are my documents uploaded?

No. Bates stamping runs entirely in your browser.

Need a confidentiality line on every page too? Add it with Header & Footer PDF. For simple page counts use Page Numbers.