Bates numbering
Continuous numbering for the exhibits of a case file: a prefix, a counter with a fixed number of digits, a suffix. Every page gets its unique identifier.
Free · 100% local — nothing is uploaded- 1Open your PDF.
- 2Set the prefix, the starting number and the number of digits.
- 3Download the stamped document.
What Bates numbering is, and how to apply it
Bates numbering gives every page of a case file a unique, running identifier made of a prefix, a counter with a fixed number of digits and sometimes a suffix: SMITH-000001, SMITH-000002, and so on. It is used in litigation, audits, due diligence and exchanges of exhibits, wherever one must be able to say “exhibit SMITH-000412” and have everyone land on the same page. Open the document, set the prefix, the starting number and the number of digits, choose where the stamp sits, and download. The identifiers are written as real text, so they are searchable: a cited exhibit is found by typing its number. The file stays on your device, which counts when the exhibits are covered by professional privilege. The stamp sits in the margin, clear of the exhibit’s own text.
Continuing the series on a second file
The counter picks up where it stopped: note the last number laid down and give it as the starting number for the next file, with the same prefix and the same number of digits. That is what separates this numbering from plain pagination, which starts again at 1 with each document and says nothing about which exhibit a page comes from.
Frequently asked questions
What is Bates numbering?
Sequential numbering stamped on every page of a case file — standard practice in court, in audit and in archiving — so that a page can be cited without ambiguity.
Can I continue the series on a second file?
Yes: note the last number reached and give it as the starting number for the next file.
Are the identifiers text?
Yes, real text: they search and they copy, which is the whole point of the method.
How is this different from plain pagination?
A folio numbers a document; Bates numbering identifies an exhibit within a case file, with a prefix and a counter that runs on across several files. No two pages can carry the same identifier.
Where does the identifier sit on the page?
Bottom right by convention, where the eye looks for it when leafing through a file. The position stays adjustable if your jurisdiction asks for another.