How to number pages for court, a lawyer or an audit
Last updated 26 September 2026
A lawyer asks you to number all your documents. Should each file start again at 1, or should the numbers run on across everything? Here is the difference and how to do each.
Page numbers or Bates numbers?
Page numbers count the pages of one document: 1 of 12, 2 of 12. Use Add page numbers for a report, a thesis or a single contract.
Bates numbers are one running number across a whole set of documents, often with a short prefix, like SMITH000001. The first page of the second file carries on where the first file stopped. Courts, lawyers and auditors use them so that anybody can point to one exact page in hundreds.
Add Bates numbers to a set of documents
- Open Bates numbering and drop all the PDFs.
- Put them in the order they will be listed, with the arrows.
- Write the prefix (for example your name or case number), the first number and how many digits.
- Choose where the number goes. The bottom right corner is the usual place.
- Press Number and save. The numbered files come back in one zip.
- Copy the table of ranges into your list of documents: it gives the first and last number of each file.
If they want one single file
Number the files first, then join them with Merge PDF. The numbers are already on the pages, so they stay correct in the joined file.