Bates Stamp PDF Free Online

Add sequential Bates numbers across multiple PDFs — set your prefix, start number, zero-padding, optional header text, position, font size, and color. All processing happens in your browser. Your files never leave your device.

Step 1 — Upload PDFs

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Drag & drop PDF files here
or click to browse — multiple files accepted

Step 2 — Bates Label Settings

SMITH-00001
Label preview (first page)

Step 3 — Appearance & Position

Step 4 — Stamp & Download

Bates numbers run continuously across all PDFs in the order listed above. Each stamped PDF can be downloaded individually, or grab them all as a ZIP.

Preparing…

How it works

Bates numbering (also called Bates stamping) is the standard method for sequentially numbering pages in legal document production. Each page gets a unique identifier combining a prefix and a padded sequential number, making any page instantly locatable by its Bates number.

1. Upload PDFs Drag in your document set. Files are processed in the order shown — reorder before stamping if needed.
2. Set label format Choose your prefix (party name, exhibit code), start number, and zero-padding width. Example: SMITH-00001.
3. Optional header Add a case name or matter number printed above the Bates number on every page — useful for court filings.
4. Pick position & style Six corner/center positions, any font size, and preset or custom color. Bottom-center is the legal standard for most jurisdictions.
5. Client-side only pdf-lib runs entirely in your browser. No data is uploaded. Confidential discovery documents stay on your machine.
6. Download Each stamped PDF downloads individually (great for updating one file), or use "Download All as ZIP" for the full set.

Frequently asked questions

What is Bates numbering and when do I need it?
Bates numbering (named after inventor Edwin G. Bates) is a method of applying sequential identifying numbers — often with a prefix — to every page in a set of documents. It is used in legal discovery, litigation, regulatory filings, and any context where both parties need to reference the same document and page without ambiguity. A Bates number like SMITH-00234 pinpoints the 234th produced page in the Smith matter. Courts and agencies routinely require Bates-stamped productions in civil litigation, patent disputes, SEC/CFTC investigations, and FOIA responses.
How does the numbering work across multiple PDFs?
Numbers run continuously across all uploaded files in the order they appear in the list. If File 1 has 12 pages and you start at SMITH-00001, File 1 gets SMITH-00001 through SMITH-00012, and File 2 starts at SMITH-00013. This mirrors exactly how a physical Bates stamp machine works. The order matters — arrange your PDFs before clicking Stamp.
Are my files uploaded to a server?
No. This tool uses pdf-lib, an open-source JavaScript library that runs entirely in your browser. Your PDF files are read from your local disk, processed in memory, and written back to your Downloads folder. Nothing is transmitted over the network. This matters for confidential legal documents — discovery materials, trade secrets, privileged communications — where sending files to a third-party server creates risk.
What zero-padding width should I use?
A common convention is 5–6 digits (e.g. 00001), which accommodates productions up to 99,999 or 999,999 pages. Six digits are recommended for large productions. The zero-padding ensures alphabetical sorting always matches numerical order — without it, SMITH-9 would sort after SMITH-10 in file systems. For very small productions (under 100 pages) four digits is sufficient.
Where should the Bates stamp be placed?
Bottom-center or bottom-right are the most common positions in U.S. federal and state courts. Some producing parties prefer bottom-right to avoid obscuring text. The opposing party's counsel may have preferences specified in a discovery protocol or ESI order — check before finalizing. If in doubt, bottom-right is least likely to cover meaningful content in a standard-margin document.
Can I use a prefix with spaces or special characters?
Yes. The prefix field accepts any text, including spaces, hyphens, underscores, and Unicode characters (e.g. Japanese 甲第). The label is embedded as standard PDF text using Helvetica (ASCII-safe). If your prefix contains non-ASCII characters, the tool automatically falls back to a custom font embedding or skips unsupported glyphs — test with a single page first.
Does this tool modify the original PDF structure or just add an overlay?
It adds a text annotation layer (drawn with pdf-lib's page content stream) on top of each page, similar to how a stamp is applied. The underlying text, images, and embedded content of the original PDF are not altered. The Bates stamp is rendered as new page content — it is visually permanent in the output file but does not touch metadata, bookmarks, or form fields.