Bates numbering gives every page in a set of documents its own identifier, usually a short prefix followed by a number with leading zeros, such as ABC-000001. Because no two pages share a number, anyone can point to an exact page.
To add Bates numbers, open the PDF in OpenPdfEdit, switch to Edit, choose Page numbers, pick the Bates tab, set the prefix and the starting number, and save a copy. It runs in your browser tab. The file is not uploaded, and you do not need an account.
What a Bates number looks like
The name comes from the Bates numbering machine, a hand stamp that advanced by one each time it was pressed. Today the numbers go on PDFs, most often when documents are exchanged in a lawsuit.
A Bates number usually has up to three parts:
- A prefix that says where the page came from, such as a party's name or initials:
SMITH. - A number with a fixed count of digits, padded with zeros so every label is the same length:
000123. - Sometimes a suffix, for a marking such as
-CONF.
The numbers run on from one document to the next, so the whole set is one sequence. The format is often set by the court, by agreement between the parties, or by your firm, so check before you choose one.
Step by step: one PDF
- Open openpdfedit.com/app and choose Open PDF….
- Switch to Edit at the top of the window and choose Page numbers in the toolbar. The same tool is under All tools.
- In the Number pages dialog, choose the Bates tab.
- Fill in Prefix, Start at, Digits and, if you need one, Suffix. The line underneath shows the result as you type, for example "First page will read ABC-000001".
- Choose a Position. The Bates tab starts on Bottom right.
- Choose Number all 5 pages (the button shows your own page count). Every page is numbered; there is no page range.
- Choose Save a copy. The copy is offered under the same file name as the original, so change the name if you want to keep both.
The format options
- Prefix: text before the number. A hyphen or a space is fine. Leave it empty for a bare number.
- Start at: the number on the first page.
- Digits: the minimum length of the number. With 6, page one reads 000001. If the count outgrows the digits, the number gets longer; nothing is cut off.
- Suffix: text after the number.
- Position: Top left, Top centre, Top right, Bottom left, Bottom centre or Bottom right.
- Font: Helvetica, Helvetica Bold, Times, Times Bold or Courier.
- Size: the text size in points. The Bates tab starts at 9.
- Margin: the distance from the page edge, in points. At 72 points to an inch, the starting value of 24 is a third of an inch.
- Colour: black unless you change it.
The dialog notes that the fonts "cover Latin characters only", so keep the prefix and suffix to ordinary letters, digits and punctuation.
Several files, one sequence
There are two ways to keep the numbers running across files.
One file at a time. While the app stays open, the dialog remembers your last settings. Open the next PDF, choose Page numbers again, and change Start at to the number after the last one you used. If the first file ended at ABC-000005, start the second at 6.
All at once, with a flow. A flow is a saved list of steps that the app runs on many PDFs.
- On the start screen, choose Flows, then New flow, and give it a name.
- Under Add a step, choose Page numbers.
- In the step, choose Bates and set Prefix, Start at, Digits and Position. The step fills in ABC- as an example prefix, so replace it with yours.
- Select the Carry the count on from one file to the next checkbox. The summary line on the step now ends with "continuing across files".
- Choose Save flow, then Run, then Choose PDFs… and pick the files. They are numbered in the order they are listed. Choosing more files adds them to the end of the list, so you can add them one at a time in the order you want.
- Leave Save outputs on Download as a ZIP and choose Run flow.
The ZIP holds a numbered copy of each file, named like contract-processed.pdf. The run screen lists the range each file received, for example "Numbered 5 pages (ABC-000001 – ABC-000005)". Keep that list: it tells you which numbers belong to which file.
A flow step sets the prefix, suffix, start, digits and position. Font, Size, Margin and Colour are only in the dialog.
If you would rather hand over a single PDF, combine the files first with Merge PDFs… on the start screen, then number the merged document. Its pages are numbered straight through.
Check the numbered copy
Open the saved copy and page through it before you send it.
- Every page should show its number in the corner you chose. The numbers follow the page order, so put the pages in order before you number them.
- The number is printed over whatever is already in that corner. If your pages have a footer or a page number there, the two will overlap. Go back to the original and pick a different corner.
- The number is real text in the page. It shows in other PDF readers, and you can search for it: choose Find, type a number such as ABC-000003, and the app jumps to that page.
The pages are not resized, and the text already on them is left alone.
Undo, and keeping the originals
While the document is still open, the Undo button in the top bar removes the numbers from every page. On Windows, Ctrl+Z does the same.
After you save the numbered copy and close it, the numbers are part of the page. Reopening it does not bring Undo back, and numbering it again prints a second number on top of the first. Keep the unnumbered originals, and number copies.
Your files stay on your computer
OpenPdfEdit does the numbering inside the browser tab. Nothing is uploaded, whether you number one file or run a flow on many.
It also works without a connection. Open the app once while you are online; after that it runs with the network off.
FAQ
Is Bates stamping the same as Bates numbering?
Yes. "Bates stamp" goes back to the hand stamp that printed the numbers. Adding the same numbers to a PDF is still often called stamping.
How many digits should a Bates number have?
Enough for the whole set, so every label has the same length. Six digits cover 999,999 pages. If your case or firm specifies a format, use that.
Can I continue the numbers from where another file stopped?
Yes. Set Start at to the next number, or run a flow with Carry the count on from one file to the next selected.
Can I Bates stamp a scanned PDF?
Yes. A page that is only a scanned image is numbered the same way, and the number is real text even though the scan is not.
Is it free, and are my files uploaded?
It is free and works without signing in. Nothing is uploaded: the numbering happens in the browser tab, and the copy is saved straight to your computer.