Add a Bates identifier at the bottom-right of every page for your legal case files.
Legal numbering, not one skipped. A lawyer counts; so do I.— Poulpi
Bates settings
The number is zero-padded, e.g. PREFIX000123SUFFIX. Default number of digits: 6.
Bates numbering assigns every page of a document a unique, sequential identifier, stamped directly on the page as a Bates stamp, for example ABC-000123. Unlike plain pagination, this identifier does not reset with each file: it runs continuously across a whole set, so two parties can point to exactly the same page by citing a single number. A Bates stamp PDF therefore becomes a shared, stable and unarguable reference between everyone working on a matter.
The practice began in legal work and remains central to producing evidence during discovery, but it reaches much further. Law firms, auditors, accountants and investigators use it to index evidence files, trace financial records, or build verifiable archives. Whenever a large volume of pages must be exchanged, quoted or checked without ambiguity, Bates numbering ensures each sheet has its own address.
The Bates stamp is highly configurable: a prefix and suffix to tie pages to a case or a party, a custom start number, zero-padded digits so every number keeps the same length (000123 rather than 123), and the position of the stamp on the page. That is what sets Bates apart from ordinary pagination: where page-numbers adds simple reading markers that restart at 1 for each document, Bates numbering produces a lasting, unique identification key across an entire corpus.
Bates works naturally alongside other tools. headers adds a recurring label, such as a case title or a date, at the top of every page. watermark stamps a mark to flag a "confidential" notice or a version. On privacy: your files are processed and then deleted automatically, and no sign-up is required.
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Upload your PDF file into the drop area (or drag and drop it).
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Add a Bates identifier at the bottom-right of every page for your legal case files.
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Download the resulting document in one click — your files are deleted automatically after processing.
Bates numbering stamps each page with a unique, sequential identifier (e.g. GRDF000123), commonly used in legal proceedings to reference every page of a case file precisely.
Yes: set a prefix, a suffix, the starting number and the number of digits (6 by default). The number is zero-padded, e.g. PREFIX000123SUFFIX.
Yes. You can wrap each number with a prefix and a suffix, for example ABC-000123-DEF, which helps identify the case file in a legal context.
Set the desired digit count and numbers will be zero-padded on the left, for example 000042. This keeps sorting consistent and the width uniform across all pages.
Yes, this tool is 100% free with no usage limits. No sign-up, no credit card and no watermark added to your documents.
Yes. Your files are processed securely and automatically deleted from our servers after processing. Nobody has access to them.