How do I do Bates numbering?

Bates numbering assigns a unique, fixed identifier to every page in a document production—for example, DAVIS_000001, DAVIS_000002, and so on. Apply the numbers only after the production set is final, including OCR, redactions, and document organization, because changes to pagination can invalidate the assigned ranges.

Before You Start

Decide the numbering convention

Use a short, matter-specific prefix and enough leading zeros to accommodate the anticipated production volume.

Example: A 238-page first production might run from DAVIS_000001 through DAVIS_000238. The next production should begin at DAVIS_000239, not restart at page 1.

A typical production protocol requires unique, numerically sequential Bates numbers, with attachment numbers following the parent document’s numbers. One federal production protocol also required each PDF image to have a unique file name matching the corresponding Bates number.[1]

Step-by-Step: Adobe Acrobat Pro

These instructions assume you are using Adobe Acrobat Pro, rather than the free Acrobat Reader. Acrobat’s Bates-numbering workflow is commonly used in litigation production practice.[2]

1. Finalize the production set first

Before numbering:

1. Place the documents in the correct production order.
2. Confirm that all documents are complete.
3. Perform OCR on scanned files so the PDFs are searchable.
4. Apply all redactions and remove metadata as appropriate.
5. Confirm that each attachment follows its parent document if your production protocol requires family sequencing.
6. Make a backup copy of the unnumbered, finalized production set.

Do not Bates-stamp an unredacted PDF and later redact or replace pages. Finalize redactions first, then Bates-stamp the final production PDFs.

2. Combine documents only if appropriate

If you are producing a small set as a single PDF:

1. Open Acrobat Pro.
2. Select All Tools.
3. Select Combine Files.
4. Click Add Files.
5. Add the documents in production order.
6. Drag documents to reorder them if needed.
7. Click Combine.
8. Save the combined PDF with a clear working name, such as Davis Production 001 - Pre Bates.pdf.

For larger productions, it is often better to retain separate PDFs and apply Bates numbers to the folder or selected batch. Acrobat can number multiple PDFs while maintaining continuous numbering across the set.

3. Open the Bates-numbering tool

1. In Acrobat Pro, select All Tools.
2. Choose Add Bates Numbering.

Depending on the Acrobat version, the tool may be listed as:

Add Bates Numbering
or
More Tools, then Add Bates Numbering

3. Select Add.

4. Add the files to be numbered

1. Click Add Files.
2. Choose either:
   • Add Files for selected PDFs; or
   • Add Folders to number all PDFs in a designated production folder.
3. Confirm the files appear in the correct production order.
4. Reorder files within the Bates dialog if Acrobat permits it, or cancel and correct the filenames/order before proceeding.

5. Set the Bates format

In the Bates-numbering settings:

1. Enter the Prefix:
   DAVIS_

2. Enter the Starting Number:
   1

3. Set the Number of Digits:
   6

4. Confirm that the preview reads:
   DAVIS_000001

5. Select the location, usually Bottom Right.

6. Click Appearance Options and set:

   • Font: Arial or another legible font;
   • Size: typically 8 to 10 point;
   • Color: black;
   • Margin: sufficient to avoid covering existing footer text or page numbers.

Screen Guide

6. Add a confidentiality designation if needed

If a protective order or production agreement requires a designation, add it separately through the same interface or through Acrobat’s header-and-footer tool.

A common layout is:

Do not use a designation unless authorized by the applicable protective order, confidentiality agreement, or your client’s designation decision.

7. Choose a separate output folder

When Acrobat asks where to save the numbered files:

1. Create a new folder, for example:
   Production 001 - Bates Numbered

2. Do not overwrite the original files.

3. Use a filename convention that permits tracking of the Bates range, for example:

   • DAVIS_000001-DAVIS_000025.pdf
   • DAVIS_000026-DAVIS_000041.pdf

4. Click OK or Add Bates Numbering to run the process.

Quality-Control Review

After Acrobat completes the numbering, perform a page-level QC before production.

Minimum QC checklist

A practical check is to open the first and last page of each produced PDF, plus several random middle pages, and compare the stated production range to the actual page labels.

If You Are Filing in New York Supreme Court Rather Than Producing Discovery

Bates labels are generally a discovery-production practice, not a routine requirement for NYSCEF filings. In an e-filed Supreme Court matter, documents must be filed in text-searchable PDF/A format and comply with NYSCEF technical requirements. N.Y. Comp. Codes R. & Regs. tit. 22, § 202.5-b(d)(1)(i) (2026).[3]

Moreover, absent a filed stipulation authorizing electronic filing of discovery materials, parties generally should not file discovery materials on NYSCEF except as excerpts, quotations, or selected exhibits attached to motion papers, pleadings, or other filings. N.Y. Comp. Codes R. & Regs. tit. 22, § 202.5-b(j) (2026).[3]

Accordingly:

1. For discovery production: Bates-stamp the final production PDFs and provide the agreed load files, metadata, images, and/or native files as applicable.
2. For a court exhibit: Preserve the Bates label if it identifies the produced document, but ensure the court filing is text-searchable PDF/A where NYSCEF requires it.
3. For NYSCEF filing: Do not assume that an entire discovery production should be uploaded; file only the material properly presented to the court under the governing rules, stipulation, and part rules.

Common Errors to Avoid

1. Restarting at 000001 for each production. Maintain a master Bates log and use the next unused number.
2. Numbering before redactions. Redaction-related page changes can disrupt Bates continuity.
3. Using too few digits. A six-digit format reaches 999,999 pages; use seven or eight digits for very large matters.
4. Stamping over document text. Inspect documents with existing footers, page numbers, or handwritten material.
5. Producing a different PDF than the one reviewed. Verify the produced folder, not merely the working copy.
6. Failing to preserve document families. Parent emails and attachments often must remain consecutively numbered under the production protocol.
7. Altering a previously produced Bates-labeled document. If correction is necessary, address it through a corrected or supplemental production and preserve an accurate production record.