pdfcosmos

Bates Numbering

Stamp continuous Bates numbers across your PDFs: prefix, start number, digits, and position.

Free, fast, and privacy-first.

Add Bates numbers to your PDFs

or drag & drop files here

PDF files onlyup to 30 filesup to 100 MB each300 MB total

Bates numbering for PDFs — continuous, sequential page stamps

Bates numbering (or Bates stamping) puts a unique, sequential identifier on every page of a document set — a legal, medical, and business standard for indexing and referencing pages. Each stamp is a prefix, a zero-padded number, and an optional suffix, like ABC-000123. The key difference from ordinary page numbers is that one counter runs continuously across your whole batch: if the first file ends at 000012, the next starts at 000013, so a set of files shares one unbroken sequence.

Set the prefix and suffix, the starting number, and the digit width (6 digits shows 000123), and place the stamp where you need it — the bottom-right corner by legal convention, or any corner or edge, with adjustable margins and your choice of font, size, and color. Rotated and landscape pages are handled so the number still reads upright. Number one PDF or up to 30 at once (a single PDF, or a ZIP). It's a visual stamp burned into each page, drawn entirely in your browser, so your files never leave your device — not a certified filing.

  • One continuous counter

    The sequence flows unbroken across every file in the batch, in order.

  • Prefix, suffix, digits

    Build stamps like ABC-000123; set the start number and zero-padding width.

  • Legal-standard placement

    Bottom-right by convention, or any corner or edge, with font, size, and color.

  • Private by design

    Numbers are stamped in your browser with pdf-lib. Your files never leave your device.

How to add Bates numbers to a PDF

  1. Add your PDF(s)

    Drop one file (or up to 30) into the upload area. The numbering runs across them in order.

  2. Set the Bates format

    Choose a prefix (e.g. ABC-), the start number, and how many digits, then the position and style.

  3. Download

    Click “Add Bates numbers”. One file downloads as a PDF, several as a ZIP.

Frequently asked questions

What is Bates numbering?
Bates numbering (or Bates stamping) puts a unique, sequential identifier on every page of a document set, widely used in law, medicine, and business to index and reference pages. Each stamp is usually a prefix plus a zero-padded number, like ABC-000123.
Are my PDF files uploaded to a server?
No. The numbers are stamped entirely in your browser using pdf-lib. Your files never leave your device. You can confirm it by opening your browser's Network tab while numbering: no file data is sent.
Does the numbering continue across several files?
Yes, that's the point of Bates numbering. Add up to 30 PDFs and one running counter flows across them in the order shown: if the first file ends at 000012, the next starts at 000013. Each file downloads with its own slice of the sequence (one file as a PDF, several together as a ZIP).
Can I set a prefix, suffix, and the number of digits?
Yes. Add a prefix (e.g. ABC-) and/or a suffix, choose the starting number, and set the digit width. 6 digits shows 000123. If a number ever grows longer than the width, it simply isn't padded (nothing is cut off).
Where does the stamp go, and can I style it?
By default the bottom-right corner (the legal convention), but you can pick any corner or edge, adjust the margins, and set the font, size, and color. Rotated or landscape pages are handled. The stamp still reads upright at the corner you chose.
Is this a legally certified Bates stamp?
It's a visual Bates stamp burned into each page's content (the same as other online Bates tools), not a certified filing or a separate load file. It doesn't alter or certify the document beyond drawing the number.