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Bates Number Documents for Legal Discovery

Last updated: February 24, 2026

In litigation and regulatory proceedings, every page in a document production must be uniquely identified with a Bates number — a sequential stamp like 'SMITH-000001' that makes it possible to reference specific pages in depositions, briefs, and court filings. OneClickPDF handles this essential legal task without expensive e-discovery software.

The Problem

You need to produce documents for litigation discovery, a regulatory inquiry, or an audit. Every page must be uniquely numbered with a Bates stamp. E-discovery software costs thousands, and manual numbering is error-prone. You need a fast, reliable way to stamp Bates numbers on PDF documents.

How It Works

1

Open Bates Numbering

Go to OneClickPDF's Bates Numbering tool.

2

Upload the document

Drop the PDF to be numbered. For multi-document productions, process each document sequentially with consecutive starting numbers.

3

Configure the Bates scheme

Set the prefix (case identifier), starting number, digit count (e.g., 6 for 000001), and optional suffix. Position the stamp on the page and set font size.

4

Apply and download

Every page receives its unique Bates number. Download the stamped PDF ready for production.

Bates Numbering

Stamp Bates numbers on legal documents for identification.

Try It Free

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this acceptable for court filings?
Yes. The Bates numbers are permanently embedded in the PDF. They appear as text stamps on each page, which is the standard format accepted by courts and regulatory bodies.
How do I number across multiple documents?
Process each document separately. Note the last Bates number from the previous document and set the next document's starting number accordingly. For example, if Document A ends at SMITH-000045, start Document B at SMITH-000046.
Can I stamp numbers on scanned documents?
Yes. Bates numbers are overlaid on top of the existing page content, so they work on any PDF — scanned, native, or mixed.
Is the numbering confidential?
Your documents are processed entirely in your browser. No legal documents, case materials, or privileged information is ever transmitted to any server.

Bates numbering is a legal requirement, not an optional nicety. OneClickPDF delivers production-ready stamped documents in seconds — with complete privacy since your legal documents never leave your device.

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