What is Bates numbering? Meaning, format and examples

Bates numbering gives every page in a set of documents its own unique identifying number, such as ACME000001. Lawyers, paralegals, auditors and investigators use it so that anyone can point to an exact page without confusion, even across thousands of documents.

This guide explains what a Bates number is, how it is formatted, where it is used, and how to add Bates numbers to your PDFs.

Updated October 14, 2026 · By the PDFZyro team

Where the name comes from

Bates numbering is named after the Bates numbering machine, a hand stamp from the late 1800s that printed a number on a page and moved on to the next number each time it was pressed. Today the numbers are added digitally, but the idea is the same: every page gets the next number in the sequence.

What a Bates number looks like

A Bates number usually has a prefix that identifies the case, client or party, followed by a number padded with leading zeros to a fixed length. Some productions add a suffix too. For example:

ACME000001: prefix ACME, six digits, page 1.
SMITH-0000245: prefix SMITH-, seven digits, page 245.
DEF000123-CONF: prefix DEF, six digits, suffix -CONF.

Where Bates numbering is used

Litigation and discovery: documents produced to the other side are numbered so both sides can refer to the same page.
Court filings and exhibits.
Investigations, audits and regulatory requests.
Business and medical records that must be tracked page by page.

Good practice for Bates numbering

Use a consistent prefix for each party or production, and agree it with the other side if a court or agreement asks you to.
Choose enough digits for the whole matter (six to eight is common), so the numbers sort correctly.
Number continuously across documents: the first page of the second document follows the last page of the first.
Place the number where it doesn't cover content, usually the bottom-right corner.
Keep a log of which range belongs to which document, for example ACME000001-ACME000057 for the first contract.
Number a copy and keep the unnumbered originals.

How to add Bates numbers to PDFs in PDFZyro

Open Bates numbering and choose the documents, up to 100, in the order the numbering should follow.
Set the prefix and, if you need one, a suffix.
Choose the number of digits (up to 12, with leading zeros) and the starting number.
Pick the position: top or bottom, left, centre or right, and the font, size and margins.
Apply. Every page gets its unique number, continuing from one document to the next, and each document is saved as a new version, so the originals stay unnumbered.

Bates numbers vs page numbers

Page numbers restart in every document and only say where a page sits within it. Bates numbers are unique across the whole set, so 'ACME000245' identifies one page among all the documents in a matter. If you only need numbered pages in a single document, use ordinary page numbers.

Redact first, then number

When a production needs both redaction and Bates numbers, finish the redactions first and number the final set of pages last. That way no redaction box covers a number, every page that is produced carries one, and the numbers in your log match the pages the other side receives.

Before numbering, also remove hidden data such as metadata and earlier saves, and make scanned pages searchable with OCR if the other side expects searchable files.

Questions and answers

What does a Bates number mean?

It is a unique identifier for one page in a set of documents, usually a prefix plus a zero-padded number, such as ACME000001. It lets everyone refer to exactly the same page.

Is Bates numbering required?

It is common in litigation and often requested by courts, the other side or agreements on how documents are produced. Whether it is required depends on the rules and agreements that apply to your matter.

How many digits should a Bates number have?

Enough for every page in the matter with room to spare. Six to eight digits is common; PDFZyro supports up to 12.

Do I need Adobe Acrobat Pro to add Bates numbers?

No. PDFZyro adds Bates numbers in your browser, across up to 100 documents at a time, together with redaction and document comparison.

Can I undo Bates numbering?

In PDFZyro each numbered document is saved as a new version, so the unnumbered original is always in its history, and you can number the set again with a different prefix or start number.

Where should the Bates number go on the page?

Usually in the bottom-right corner, inside the margin, so it doesn't cover any text. If the documents already have content there, choose another corner or the bottom centre, and keep the same position for the whole production. PDFZyro offers six positions with adjustable margins, font and size.

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