Bates Numbering
Bates-number one file or a whole production set, continuously.
Bates Numbering stamps every page with a prefix, a zero-padded number and an optional suffix or second line such as CONFIDENTIAL — per document or continuously across an ordered set of files — and downloads the numbered PDFs with a CSV index of each file's first and last number. The stamps are real searchable text, not images, and the files are processed on your device.
Bates Numbering stamps a consecutive identifier onto every page — a prefix, a zero-padded number and an optional suffix — either on one document or continuously across an ordered set of files. Every number is added as real text, and an index records the first and last number of each file so the production can be checked against it.
How to use Bates Numbering — steps & common uses
What people use Bates Numbering for
Anyone producing documents in litigation or an investigation, where each page needs its own identifier and the set needs an index.
- Number a document production for discovery
- Stamp a continuous run across an exhibit bundle
- Add a CONFIDENTIAL designation under each number
- Produce an index of Bates ranges for the other side
- Re-number a set after inserting a document
How to use Bates Numbering
- Add one PDF, or the whole set in the order it should be numbered; drag the rows to change that order.
- Set the prefix, suffix, starting number and digit width, and choose whether the run continues across files or restarts at each one.
- Pick the corner, the text size and the margin, and add a second line such as CONFIDENTIAL if the production needs one.
- Click Apply Bates numbers, then download the numbered PDF — or the ZIP of the set with its index.
Good to know: Stamps are real text; continuous numbering across a set follows the order you drag the files into.
Questions about Bates Numbering 7
Are my files uploaded to a server?
No. UnboundPDF processes PDFs locally in the browser — documents are not uploaded to a server. We have no backend that receives, stores, or scans your files.
Does the numbering continue across several files?
Yes, and that is the default. The counter runs unbroken through the files in the order shown on screen, which is what a production set needs. Choosing "Restart at each file" gives every file its own run instead.
Are the Bates numbers real text?
Yes. They are drawn into the page content as text, so they can be selected, searched and copied in any reader, and they stay sharp when printed.
What happens if the number needs more digits than I chose?
It is printed in full rather than shortened. A shortened Bates number is a different number, so the run stays correct and the tool tells you the width was exceeded.
Can I add CONFIDENTIAL under the number?
Yes. The optional second line is printed under every Bates number, in the same corner and at the same size.
What is in the index file?
One row per document: the file name, its page count, and its first and last Bates number. It is a CSV, so it opens in any spreadsheet.
Does it work on a scanned or rotated page?
Yes. The number is placed in the corner as the reader sees it, so a page carrying a rotation is numbered the right way up rather than sideways.
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How your files are handled
The work runs on your own device, inside the browser tab — so there is no server to send your document to.
- Nothing is uploaded. We have no backend that receives or stores documents, so we cannot see your files during processing or after.
- Your device does the work. Large documents are handled in stages, pages are rendered as you reach them, and each job is checked against your device before it starts — so a long run takes longer on a phone than on a laptop, nothing is queued behind other people's jobs, and you can stop a run at any point without touching your original file.
- No account and no watermark. The output is a clean file you can use anywhere, with no sign-up and no hourly cap.
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