Bates Numbering

Bates-number a production without uploading it.

Stamp Bates numbers on a PDF production in your browser: configure prefixes, starting numbers, and per-custodian series. Privileged documents never leave your device.

Start Bates numbering free How it works

Productions are privileged. The tool you use shouldn't see them.

Every document in a Bates-stamped production is by definition part of active litigation or discovery. Uploading a production to a web service for stamping means handing potentially privileged documents to a third party that isn't a party to your engagement.

The difference in one sentence

Documents in a legal production are privileged or sensitive by definition. They shouldn't pass through a third-party server just to get Bates stamps.

KeptPDF stamps, numbers, and generates load files entirely in your browser. No upload endpoint exists. The documents stay on your machine, your client's machine, or wherever the production lives. Confirm it yourself in the Network tab.

How to Bates-number a PDF

On your device. No account needed, and nothing gets uploaded.

1. Open your PDF

Drop the production file onto the page. It loads in your browser without being transmitted anywhere.

2. Configure the stamp

Set the prefix (e.g. SMITH_), starting number, padding digits, and position on the page. For multi-custodian productions, set a separate prefix and series per custodian.

3. Download stamped PDF + load files

The stamped production PDF downloads along with a designation report. Pro adds CSV, DAT, and OPT load files for Concordance/Relativity.

Legal-grade production tools. Nothing uploaded.

Per-custodian prefixes

Assign a separate prefix and starting number to each custodian. KeptPDF manages separate number series so cross-custodian productions stay organized.

Skip pages

Mark pages to exclude from numbering, useful for privilege slips, cover pages, or dividers. Excluded pages receive a placeholder stamp rather than a number.

Load files (Pro)

Pro users download CSV, DAT, and OPT load files alongside the stamped PDF, ready to import into Concordance, Relativity, or any standard review platform.

No upload

The production never leaves your device. No third-party server touches a single document in your production.

Common steps before and after Bates numbering

Redact before production → Compare versions →

Questions, answered.

What is Bates numbering?

Bates numbering is the practice of stamping sequential reference numbers (typically a letter prefix followed by padded digits, e.g. SMITH_000001) on every page of a document production. It makes each page uniquely citable in legal proceedings, depositions, and discovery responses.

Can I use different prefixes for different custodians?

Yes. KeptPDF supports per-custodian prefix configuration, so each custodian's documents get their own prefix and numbering series within a single production run.

What load files does it produce?

Pro users get CSV, DAT, and OPT load files: the three formats used by Concordance and Relativity for importing productions into review databases. Free users get a designation report in PDF form.

Are my production documents uploaded to a server?

No. All stamping and load file generation happens in your browser. Your production is never uploaded anywhere. This is important for privileged documents: KeptPDF's servers never receive your files.

Can I skip pages from numbering?

Yes. You can mark individual pages to exclude, useful for privilege slips, cover pages, or dividers. Excluded pages receive a placeholder stamp rather than a number.

Is it free?

The core stamping, designation report, and per-custodian prefixes are free, with no account and no daily limit. Pro ($29/month) adds CSV/DAT/OPT load files and supports larger files (hundreds of MB practical limit, browser memory dependent).

Bates-stamp a production. Free, in your browser.

Open Bates Numbering