Bates numbering for PDF

Bates numbering gives every page in a set of documents a unique, sequential identifier, such as ABC000001 – a standard in litigation, discovery and compliance work. Because FreePDF runs locally, privileged and confidential documents are never sent to a third-party server.

Common uses

• Number documents for legal discovery or disclosure.
• Label pages of evidence bundles and exhibits.
• Track pages in audit, insurance or compliance submissions.

Tips for best results

• Choose enough digits for the whole production (6 digits covers up to 999,999 pages).
• Order files correctly before starting; numbering continues from one file to the next.
• Use a matter-specific prefix to avoid confusion between cases.

Bates number format

A typical Bates number combines a prefix (often a case or party code), a zero-padded sequence and optional suffix, for example SMITH-000123. Positioning in the bottom-right corner is a common convention.