The short answer
In Adobe Acrobat, Bates numbering is an Acrobat Pro feature. Acrobat Standard and the free Acrobat Reader don't have it, and Acrobat Pro costs US$19.99 a month on an annual plan.
Without Pro, use a Bates numbering tool that runs in your browser: add the PDFs in production order, set the prefix and starting number, check the stamp on a real page, and download the numbered files. Our Bates numbering tool stamps the first 50 pages of any production free, with no sign-in, and your documents are never uploaded.
Which versions of Acrobat can Bates stamp?
Only one. Bates numbering is among the features Adobe reserves for Acrobat Pro, alongside tools such as redaction and document comparison.
| Program | Bates numbering | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Acrobat Reader | No | Free |
| Acrobat Standard | No | US$14.99 a month, annual plan |
| Acrobat Pro | Yes | US$19.99 a month, annual plan |
| Essex Bates numbering (in your browser) | Yes | First 50 pages free; then $29 for 7 days or $149 with no expiry, paid once |
Adobe prices are its US list prices on adobe.com in October 2026.
How to Bates stamp in Acrobat Pro
If you already pay for Acrobat Pro, this is the built-in way. The menu names differ slightly between Acrobat versions.
- Open Acrobat Pro and choose Edit (in older versions, Tools > Edit PDF), then More > Bates Numbering > Add.
- Click Add Files, Add Folders or Add Open Files, and put the documents in production order with Move Up and Move Down.
- If you like, click Output Options to choose where the numbered copies are saved and how they are named. Then click OK.
- In the Add Header and Footer dialog, click inside the box where the number should go, such as Right Footer Text.
- Click Insert Bates Number, set the number of digits, the start number and any prefix or suffix, and click OK.
- Check the preview, adjust the font, size and margins, and click OK to stamp the files.
For a legend such as CONFIDENTIAL, type it into another header or footer box in the same dialog.
How to Bates stamp a PDF without Acrobat
Our Bates numbering page does the stamping inside your browser, on Windows, Mac or Linux. There is nothing to install and no account to make.
- Open the Bates numbering page and drop in your PDFs, or a whole folder.
- Drag the documents into production order. The list shows each document's Bates range before anything is stamped.
- Set the stamp: a prefix such as DEF-, the start number, the number of digits and an optional suffix. Pick the corner, and a legend if you need one: CONFIDENTIAL, CONFIDENTIAL – SUBJECT TO PROTECTIVE ORDER, HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL – ATTORNEYS' EYES ONLY, PRIVILEGED & CONFIDENTIAL, or your own text.
- Look at the stamp on your real pages in the preview, sideways and landscape pages included. Cover sheets can be left unstamped and uncounted.
- Click the Stamp button, then download. You get a ZIP of numbered PDFs, each renamed to its Bates range, plus a Bates index and a document list as CSV files.
A file that went in as Exhibit 3.pdf comes out like this, and the index has one row per page for your production log:
DEF-000024-DEF-000045.pdf Bates Number,Produced File,Original File,Page DEF-000024,DEF-000024-DEF-000045.pdf,Exhibit 3.pdf,1 DEF-000025,DEF-000024-DEF-000045.pdf,Exhibit 3.pdf,2
The first 50 pages of any production are free, with every feature. Past that, a pass is $29 for seven days or $149 with no expiry. Both are one-time payments with a 14-day money-back guarantee, and nothing renews.
Bates stamp your PDFs now. Drop in a production and check the stamp before you pay anything.
First 50 pages free · no sign-in · never uploaded
Acrobat Pro or a browser tool?
Acrobat Pro makes sense if
- you already pay for it;
- you use its other Pro tools, such as redaction or comparing two versions of a document;
- your office has standardized on Acrobat.
A browser tool makes sense if
- Bates numbering is the only thing you would buy Pro for;
- you're on a computer without Acrobat Pro, such as a laptop at home or in a client's office;
- you want each file named by its Bates range, with a Bates index and a document list ready for the production log.
Other ways to Bates stamp without Acrobat
Other paid PDF editors include Bates numbering too, among them Foxit PDF Editor, Nitro PDF Pro and Tungsten Power PDF (formerly Kofax Power PDF). There are also free online Bates tools. Before you use one on privileged or confidential material, check where the work happens: if the site asks you to upload your PDFs, the documents leave your computer.
Ours works the other way. Your PDFs are opened, stamped and saved inside the browser tab and are never sent to us. Here is exactly what does leave your computer: page-visit statistics and anonymous counts, never a file name or a word of a document.
A checklist before you stamp a production
- Prefix. Name the producing party, such as DEF- or PLTF-, or use the client's initials, and keep it the same across productions in the case.
- Start number. Pick up after your last production so no number is used twice.
- Digits. Zero-padding keeps every number the same length (DEF-000001), so files sort in order.
- Order. Put the documents in production order before you number them. Changing the order later means renumbering.
- Placement. Choose a corner margin that clears text, signatures and existing page numbers, and check the landscape pages.
- Legend. Use the exact wording your protective order requires.
- Locked files. A password-protected PDF can't be stamped until its security is removed in the program that made it. Find these first so no numbers are skipped.
- Records. Keep the Bates index and the document list with the production for the cover letter and the privilege log.
Questions people ask
Can I Bates stamp a PDF in Adobe Acrobat Reader?
No. Adobe keeps Bates numbering in Acrobat Pro. Acrobat Reader can open and print a Bates-stamped PDF, but it cannot add the numbers.
Does Acrobat Standard have Bates numbering?
No. Acrobat Standard does not include Bates numbering. It is one of the features Adobe reserves for Acrobat Pro.
How can I add Bates numbers to a PDF for free?
Our Bates numbering tool stamps the first 50 pages of any production free, with every feature and no sign-in, in your browser. That covers a short production outright, and on a larger one it lets you check the result before you pay.
What does a Bates number look like?
A short prefix for the producing party followed by a zero-padded number, such as DEF-000001, usually in a bottom corner of the page. It often sits under a legend such as CONFIDENTIAL – SUBJECT TO PROTECTIVE ORDER.
Can I continue numbering from my last production?
Yes. Start at the number after the last page of your previous production. In Acrobat Pro, type it into Start Number. In our browser tool, reusing a prefix makes the page offer the next number from your last production on that computer, and you can also type any starting number.
Are my documents uploaded when I use the browser tool?
No. The PDFs are read and stamped inside the browser tab and the numbered files are saved to your computer. What does leave your computer is ordinary page-visit statistics and anonymous counts, such as how many pages a run had. Never a file name, a page or a word of a document.
From Essex Software, making PDF software since 2004. Adobe, Acrobat and Acrobat Reader are trademarks of Adobe; Foxit, Nitro and Power PDF belong to their owners. This guide is not affiliated with or endorsed by any of them.