Bates Numbering Tool

Free online Bates numbering tool for legal professionals. Upload a PDF and add sequential Bates stamps to every page — customizable prefix, suffix, starting number, zero-padding, position, and font size. Stamps are permanently embedded in the PDF content stream using pdf-lib. Your legal documents never leave your device. No signup, no watermarks, no limits. A free alternative to Adobe Acrobat Pro's Bates numbering feature ($20/month).

What is Bates numbering and when do I need it?

Bates numbering assigns a unique sequential identifier to every page in a set of legal documents. Courts require it during discovery so that any page can be referenced precisely — "see Bates number ABC-000042." It's standard in litigation, regulatory proceedings, and corporate compliance. Without Bates numbering, document production is considered incomplete by most courts.

Is this a free alternative to Adobe Acrobat for Bates numbering?

Yes. Adobe Acrobat Pro charges $20/month and includes Bates numbering as one of many features. If Bates numbering is all you need, this tool does the same job for free. The stamps are permanent, embedded into the PDF, and cannot be removed — meeting the same standard as Acrobat's output.

Can I number multiple PDFs as one continuous set?

Currently this tool processes one PDF at a time. To number a set of documents continuously, process the first PDF starting at 1, note the last number used, then process the next PDF starting at that number + 1. We're working on multi-file batch numbering for a future update.