How it works
A straightforward workflow designed to be fast, accurate, and easy to review using online Bates numbering software.
Overview
BatesNumbers is an online Bates numbering software designed to make Bates numbering simple, predictable, and reliable.
Upload your documents, configure your numbering, preview the results, and generate production-ready files in just a few steps using a browser-based workflow.
Upload PDFs, supported Word documents, image files, or a ZIP containing an entire document set directly into the online Bates numbering tool. Supported Word documents and images are automatically converted into PDFs for processing, including DOC, DOCX, DOCM, DOT, DOTX, DOTM, RTF, ODT, JPG/JPEG, PNG, WebP, HEIC, and HEIF, along with TIFF where supported.
BatesNumbers provides a browser-based alternative to traditional Bates stamping tools and desktop software, which often require installation, configuration, and paid licensing.
The workflow
Upload one or more PDFs, supported Word documents, image files, or a ZIP containing an entire document set. BatesNumbers supports standard PDFs, scanned PDFs, supported Word documents, and supported image uploads while preserving filenames, folder structure, and document order wherever applicable.
Set your prefix, numbering format, placement, and style using flexible configuration options within the software. Then preview sample pages so you can confirm everything looks right before full processing.
Run the full job and download clean, organized, sequentially numbered documents ready for production, filing, or sharing.
Try the Bates Numbering Workflow
Upload PDFs, images, or ZIP document sets, preview your Bates placement and numbering, then generate production-ready output when everything looks right.
Video walkthrough
Watch a full BatesNumbers workflow from upload through setup, preview, processing, download, and Bates index generation.
The walkthrough shows how BatesNumbers handles real legal document workflows, including multiple PDFs, supported Word documents, ZIP upload support, preview validation, production-ready output, and Bates index creation. The current workflow also supports JPG/JPEG, PNG, WebP, HEIC, and HEIF image uploads, along with TIFF where supported, plus page normalization options for oversized PDFs.
1) Upload & validation
Upload individual PDFs, supported Word documents, image files, or a ZIP containing a larger document set.
BatesNumbers supports standard PDFs, scanned PDFs, and JPG/JPEG/PNG/TIFF image uploads. Supported images are automatically normalized and converted into PDFs for Bates processing, so you do not have to pre-convert them yourself.
BatesNumbers is built to support legal production workflows while preserving original filenames, folder structure, and document order wherever applicable.
2) Configure your numbering
Choose how your Bates numbers will appear across your documents.
- Prefix such as CASE001 or PROD.
- Padding for fixed-width numbering like 000001.
- Separator between elements to match your matter or firm format.
- Placement in the header or footer.
- Alignment and style so output matches your workflow.
- Document order with drag-to-reorder controls for multi-file jobs.
- Oversized PDF normalization when very large page dimensions need to be scaled to Letter or Legal for cleaner Bates placement.
- Optional companion text such as Exhibit or Confidential when that is part of your production convention.
Numbering can continue sequentially across the full document set, and output naming options can help distinguish processed files from originals. You can also skip cover pages where needed and use preview to confirm placement before committing to full processing.
3) Preview before processing
Before you run the full job, BatesNumbers generates a preview using a few sample pages from one of your uploaded documents.
- Verify placement and formatting.
- Confirm your prefix and numbering sequence.
- Catch overlap or layout issues before processing a large job.
Preview uses the same rendering approach as final output. Only the number of pages processed is limited.
Real-world file handling
Legal document sets are rarely perfect. BatesNumbers includes safeguards and file-handling features designed for mixed, messy, or production-ready uploads.
- Document and image uploads: Supported Word documents and image files are automatically converted into PDFs for Bates numbering, including DOC, DOCX, DOCM, DOT, DOTX, DOTM, RTF, ODT, JPG/JPEG, PNG, WebP, HEIC, and HEIF, along with TIFF where supported.
- Oversized PDFs: unusually large page dimensions can be normalized to Letter or Legal so Bates numbers land at a practical size and position.
- ZIP productions: folder structure is preserved where applicable, helping output remain organized.
- Duplicate filenames: output naming is handled so similarly named files do not overwrite each other.
- Duplicate content detection: matching file content can be flagged during setup to help catch accidental duplicate uploads before processing.
Need full settings details?
This page covers the workflow at a higher level. For complete documentation on Bates settings, exhibit labels, output naming, Bates index options, saved defaults, and common pitfalls, view the full docs.
4) Process the full job
Once confirmed, BatesNumbers applies your exact configuration across the full upload using the same processing engine as the preview.
During processing, the system applies sequential numbering across files, maintains document integrity, and keeps output organized for downstream legal workflows.
5) Download clean, organized output
When processing is complete, download your results as a single PDF or a structured ZIP archive, depending on the job.
- Numbered PDFs generated from your configured Bates settings
- Converted PDFs for supported Word document and image uploads
- Preserved filenames and folder structure, with duplicate-safe naming and optional output prefix or suffix conventions where enabled
- Output ready for production, filing, or sharing
6) Production index
For multi-file jobs, BatesNumbers can include Bates index files to help track Bates ranges across the document set.
The Bates index can include document-level ranges, page counts, filenames, and output paths, making it easier to review the overall production structure. CSV and printable PDF index formats are available where enabled.
Common questions
Yes. You can upload multiple PDFs, supported image files, or a ZIP containing an entire document set.
If a PDF has oversized page dimensions, BatesNumbers can offer normalization options such as Letter or Legal. This helps Bates numbers land at a practical size and position instead of appearing too small on very large pages.
By default, BatesNumbers is designed to preserve original filenames and folder structure so output stays organized and familiar. For many legal workflows, that is the safest default. Optional output prefix or suffix naming can also help distinguish processed files from originals when needed.
Yes. Bates numbering can run continuously across all files in a job so your full production set stays sequential.
No. BatesNumbers is an online Bates numbering software that runs in your browser. No Adobe Acrobat or other desktop software is required.
Files are processed securely and automatically deleted after processing based on your configured retention window.
BatesNumbers is designed for real legal productions with PDFs, images, ZIP folders, previews, Bates indexes, oversized-page normalization, duplicate handling, and organized output packaging. Cloud processing helps keep those steps consistent without depending on your browser, device memory, or local software setup.
Files are retained only temporarily based on your plan or one-off access window, then removed according to the applicable retention settings.
Large legal platforms can be powerful, but Bates numbering is often just one small feature inside a much bigger system. BatesNumbers is focused on one job: helping you upload, organize, preview, number, index, and download production-ready files without digging through unrelated tools or menus.
That focus makes it useful for small firms, solo attorneys, paralegals, litigation support teams, and occasional productions where you need a clean Bates workflow without adopting a full document-management or e-discovery platform.
Ready to get started?
Upload PDFs, supported Word documents, images, or ZIP productions, preview your numbering, and generate production-ready PDF documents with controlled Bates ranges and a downloadable Bates index.