Bates Numbering PDF — Add Sequential Legal Page Numbers

What Is Bates Numbering?

Bates numbering is a sequential identification system used in legal, medical, and business documents. Each page gets a unique number — typically a prefix, a sequential number, and optionally a suffix:

ABC-000001
ABC-000002
ABC-000003
...
ABC-001547

Named after the Bates Automatic Numbering Machine (patented 1891), it's now the standard for identifying pages in legal proceedings.

Why Bates Numbering Matters

• Legal discovery — every page in a case must be uniquely identifiable so lawyers can reference "page ABC-000347" in court
• Court filings — many courts require Bates-stamped documents
• Medical records — patient files need sequential tracking
• Financial audits — auditors reference specific pages by Bates number
• Insurance claims — claims processors cite specific document pages

How to Add Bates Numbers Online

Step 1: Upload Your PDF

Open MyPDF's Bates Numbering tool and upload your document.

Step 2: Configure Numbering

Set your Bates number format:

• Prefix — text before the number (e.g., "ABC-", "CASE2026-", "DOC-")


• Starting number — first page's number (e.g., 1, 1001, 50001)


• Number of digits — zero-padded width (e.g., 6 digits → 000001)


• Suffix — optional text after the number


• Position — header or footer, left/center/right

Step 3: Stamp and Download

Click "Apply Bates Numbers" and download your stamped PDF.

Bates Number Format Examples

Use Case	Format	Example
Simple case filing	CASE-000001	CASE-000001 through CASE-000847
Multi-party litigation	SMITH-DEF-0001	Identifies producing party
Medical records	MR-2026-00001	Includes year
Financial audit	AUDIT-Q3-001	Includes quarter
Confidential	CONF-000001	Flags confidentiality

Bates Numbering Rules

1. Numbers must be unique — no two pages can share the same number across the entire case
2. Numbers are sequential — gaps are allowed (redacted pages) but the order must be maintained
3. Numbers are permanent — once stamped, they don't change even if pages are reordered
4. Continuation across documents — if Document A ends at 000500, Document B starts at 000501

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I Bates-number multiple PDFs in sequence?

Yes — upload multiple documents. Set the starting number for the first document, and subsequent documents continue the sequence automatically.

Does Bates numbering change the document content?

No — Bates numbers are stamped in the header or footer margin, outside the document content area.

What if I need to add pages later?

Use suffix letters (e.g., 000347a, 000347b) for inserted pages to maintain the original sequence.

Is Bates numbering legally required?

Not universally, but it's standard practice in US litigation and many courts require it for discovery productions.

Related Tools

• Add Page Numbers — Standard page numbers for non-legal use
• Header Footer — Add custom headers and footers
• Merge PDF — Combine documents before Bates stamping
• Protect PDF — Prevent tampering with stamped documents