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Bates Numbering PDF Online Free — PrivaTools

TL;DR: Upload a PDF (or batch), set a prefix and digit count, and download a copy with sequential Bates numbers stamped on every page — the legal-discovery standard.

Add Bates numbering to PDF for legal document indexing. Apply sequential Bates stamps with custom prefix, suffix, and start number. Essential for legal discovery and court filings. Free online tool.

Using Bates Numbering PDF doesn't require an account, an email address, or a paid plan. Your file is held in temp memory only for the duration of processing, then permanently unlinked. No watermarks, no upsells, no behavioural tracking.

How to Bates Numbering PDF with PrivaTools

  1. Upload the PDF (or batch) — Drop a PDF up to 500 MB. Multi-PDF Bates batches are coming.
  2. Configure the Bates format — Set the prefix (e.g. BATES), starting number, padding digits (e.g. 0001), and position on the page (top/bottom × left/center/right).
  3. Download with stamps — Click Apply. PrivaTools stamps each page with the next Bates number — e.g. BATES0001, BATES0002, etc.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's Bates numbering used for?

Sequential page identification across legal discovery documents. Each page in a production gets a unique identifier so attorneys can reference exact pages.

Can I start the numbering at a value other than 1?

Yes — set start_number to any positive integer. This is the standard workflow for continuing a numbering scheme across multiple production batches.

Does it survive redaction?

Yes — Bates numbers are stamped directly onto the page content, so they remain after redaction (unless the redaction rectangle covers them).

Last reviewed 2026-05-01 by the PrivaTools maintainers. Source code on (MIT-licensed, self-hostable).

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