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Bates numbering

Sequential legal stamping across many files.

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About Bates numbering

Apply a continuous identifier with a prefix, suffix and fixed digit count over an entire set of documents - the numbering carries on from one file to the next.

  • Continuous numbering across files
  • Zero-padded digits
  • Custom prefix and suffix

How to bates numbering

  1. 1

    Add the whole set

    Order the files as they should be numbered.

  2. 2

    Define the format

    Prefix, digits, starting value, suffix.

  3. 3

    Stamp

    Numbering runs continuously across all documents.

A practical guide to bates numbering

Why legal teams number this way

Bates numbering exists so that every page in a discovery or disclosure production carries a unique, unchanging identifier. When thousands of pages move between parties, a stamp like "SMITH-004182" lets a deposition, a privilege log and opposing counsel all point to the exact same page without confusion. Use it whenever you assemble documents for litigation, an audit, a regulatory filing or any matter where pages must be cited precisely. The continuous-across-files behavior is the heart of it: a production is treated as one long sequence even though it arrives as dozens of separate PDFs, so no two pages ever share a number.

Setting a format that holds up in production

Decide the prefix, digit count and starting value before you stamp, because changing them later means renumbering the whole set. Choose enough digits to cover the full production with room to spare, so the count never overflows its padding partway through. Place the stamp in a bottom corner where it will not cover exhibit text, signatures or existing footers, and leave a comfortable margin so it survives printing and copying. Confirm the file order carefully first, since the sequence follows exactly the order you arrange, and one misplaced document shifts every number after it.

Fitting stamping into case prep

Number the set only after the documents are final and correctly ordered, since inserting a page later throws off everything downstream. If a document is a scan, the stamp still applies as an image overlay, but run OCR first if you also need the underlying text to be searchable and citable. When you need per-file restarts instead of one running count, switch that option on. Once stamped, keep the production set separate from your working originals, and preserve the unstamped master so a second production, with a different prefix or start value, can be generated cleanly from source.

Frequently asked questions

How does continuous numbering work across several separate PDFs?
You add every file in the set and arrange them in the order they should be numbered. The counter starts at your chosen value on the first page of the first file and keeps climbing through each following document, so a 40-page file followed by a 15-page file ends at the 55th stamp. The sequence never resets unless you ask it to.
Can I add a prefix and suffix around the number?
Yes. You can wrap the counter with a fixed prefix, such as a case or client code, and a suffix if your convention needs one. A stamp like "ABC-000123" combines a prefix with a zero-padded number, and the prefix stays identical on every page while only the digits advance.
How many digits does each Bates number use?
You set a fixed digit count and lower numbers are zero-padded to match, so 7 becomes 000007 when six digits are chosen. Padding keeps every identifier the same width, which is what keeps files sorting correctly and lets counsel cite an exact page without ambiguity.
Are Bates stamps permanent once applied?
Yes. The identifier is written into the page content so it prints and reproduces reliably in a production set, and it cannot be automatically stripped afterward. Keep an unstamped master copy before you run the tool in case you need to renumber the set differently later.

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