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Number a folder of PDFs and write the index, on this PC.

BatesBind is a Windows app from Automata Labs that numbers a folder of PDFs with one continuous Bates range, adds a confidentiality legend and exhibit labels in the same pass, and writes the index as PDF and CSV, on your PC with nothing uploaded. Choose the prefix, suffix, padding, and start number, check every range before you export, and get numbered copies named by range or one bound PDF with bookmarks. The originals are never changed.

One-time purchase · 15-day free trial in the Microsoft Store · One-time purchase. No subscriptions. Local-first.
Pay once. Own it forever.

One-time purchase on the Microsoft Store · No subscription · Instant install

Get it from Microsoft

Buy through the Microsoft Store—instant install, automatic updates, and a Microsoft receipt for easy expensing. No account needed on our site, and no subscription on Store purchases.

How it works See the screens

continuous ranges · legend and exhibit labels · index pdf and csv · originals never changed · nothing uploads

BatesBind numbering settings and preview

BatesBind with prefix ACME and the legend CONFIDENTIAL set, an Exhibit column in the file table, and a preview of a rotated site plan scan showing where its labels will print.
Set the prefix, a legend, and exhibit labels. The preview shows every label where it will print, even on a rotated scan.

The problem

The production is due, and the folder holds forty PDFs.

Every page needs a Bates number, and each file’s numbers have to run on from the file before it. Stamping file by file means carrying the last number forward by hand, adding the confidentiality legend in a second pass, and typing each file’s first and last number into a log afterward. One file out of order or one scan that will not open, and the ranges and the log stop matching.

With BatesBind

Open the folder. Check the ranges. Export.

BatesBind lists every PDF in natural order with its page count and the range it will get, names any file it cannot read, and shows the first page of the selected file with its labels. When the table looks right, one export writes the numbered files, the index PDF, and a CSV log with a SHA-256 hash for each file. The originals are only read.

Key benefits

Number, label, and log the set in one export

One continuous range across the folder

Every PDF in the folder, and in its subfolders if you include them, is numbered in the order shown: natural order to start, so Exhibit 2 comes before Exhibit 10, then drag a row or use Move up and Move down. Set a prefix and suffix, 1 to 15 zero-padded digits, and a start number, or restart at the start number for each file.

Legend and exhibit labels in the same pass

A confidentiality legend on every page in its own corner, and an exhibit label on each file’s first page, counted 1, 2, 3 or A, B, C. Choose the position, size, margin, and color, and check them in the preview.

The index as PDF and CSV

Every file with its exhibit label, page count, and first and last number. The CSV adds output file names and a SHA-256 hash for each file, ready for a production log, and opens in Excel.

Numbered copies or one bound PDF

Export a numbered copy of each file, named by its Bates range if you like, or one bound PDF with the index in front and a bookmark for every file.

No silent gaps

A file that cannot be read is listed with the reason. Leave it out, or give it a slip sheet that takes one number so the range has no hole.

Picks up at the next number

BatesBind remembers your settings, saves named schemes for each matter, and shows where the last export ended, so the next production continues from the next number.

Upright on rotated scans

Labels are placed on the page as it is displayed, so they stay upright on rotated and cropped scans. The typeface is embedded, and existing page content is never moved.

How it works

Open, set, check, export

Open

Choose Open a folder, or drop a folder on the window. BatesBind lists every PDF in natural order, counts the pages, and names any file it cannot read, with the reason. Subfolders can be included.

Set

Type the prefix and suffix, set the digits and start number, and add a legend and exhibit labels when the matter needs them. Pick a saved scheme to reuse a matter’s settings.

Check

The table shows every file’s Bates range, and the preview shows the first page of the selected file with each label where it will print. Drag a row, or use Move up and Move down, to change the order.

Export

Export copies writes a numbered copy of each file, plus the index as PDF and CSV, to a folder you pick. Export PDF writes one bound PDF with the index first and a bookmark for every file.

BatesBind applies the label format you choose; the order or agreement in your matter decides what that format is. Read what BatesBind does not decide.

See it in action

The folder, the labels, and the finished set

BatesBind listing nine PDFs from a folder named Exhibits in natural order, with page counts and Bates ranges from ACME000001 to ACME000050, and a damaged scan marked Not included with its reason.
Open a folder. Every PDF is listed with its page count and its Bates range. A file that cannot be read is named, with the reason.
BatesBind numbering settings with prefix ACME, six digits, and the legend CONFIDENTIAL, beside a file table with Exhibit labels and a first-page preview of a rotated scan.
Set the prefix, a legend, and exhibit labels. The preview shows every label where it will print, even on a rotated scan.
BatesBind exporting a 3,000-page sample set, with the progress line Numbering Exhibit 6 - Spreadsheet export.pdf, page 2280 of 3000, and a Cancel button.
Export copies or one bound PDF. Progress names the file and page, and Cancel leaves nothing behind.
BatesBind success bar reading Wrote 8 numbered copies, the index PDF, and the index CSV, with the next number ACME003001 and an Open folder button.
Done. The numbered copies, the index PDF, and the CSV log are in the folder you chose, and the next number is ready.

Screenshots use a sample exhibit folder generated for testing, with placeholder text and fictitious names.

Privacy

Nothing uploads

BatesBind runs on your PC in the Windows app sandbox and declares no capabilities. It makes no network connections, has no account, and collects no telemetry. It reads only the folder you open or drop on the window, writes only to the file or folder you pick, and keeps its settings and saved schemes in its own local storage.

If you export to a folder that a sync app such as OneDrive manages, that app may copy the files elsewhere under its own settings.

Good to know before you buy

  • It numbers PDF files. Other files in the folder are ignored.
  • No OCR, no redaction, and no removal of stamps added earlier. Do those steps first, with the tools built for them.
  • Password-protected PDFs are listed as not included, or get a slip sheet when slip sheets are on.
  • Output is PDF and CSV only: no TIFF images and no e-discovery load files.
  • One legend per export. Documents with different designations go in separate runs, and Continue picks up the range.
  • Labels use six positions, sizes from 6 to 24 points, and black, gray, red, or blue ink, in one embedded typeface.
  • The index and slip sheets are printed on Letter-size pages.
  • Windows 10 version 2004 or later, or Windows 11, on an x64 or ARM64 PC.

BatesBind makes no claim about what a court or opposing counsel will accept, and nothing on this page is legal advice. The 15-day free trial is the easiest way to see how it handles your own files.

Try it on your last production first.

The Microsoft Store runs a 15-day free trial with every feature. Open a folder you have already produced, set the same prefix, and compare the ranges and the index with what went out. If it fits your work, buy it once. There is no subscription.

Pay once. Own it forever.

One-time purchase on the Microsoft Store · No subscription · Instant install

Get it from Microsoft

Buy through the Microsoft Store—instant install, automatic updates, and a Microsoft receipt for easy expensing. No account needed on our site, and no subscription on Store purchases.

Who uses it

  • Paralegals and legal assistants at small litigation firms numbering a discovery production with a prefix, a confidentiality legend, and a CSV production log
  • Litigation staff assembling an exhibit package as one bound PDF with exhibit labels, an index, and a bookmark for every exhibit
  • Rolling productions that must continue from the last Bates number used in the previous volume, with no overlap
  • Offices that number a few hundred pages now and then and do not want a full PDF editor subscription for it

FAQ

Quick answers about BatesBind

What is BatesBind?

BatesBind is a Windows app that numbers a folder of PDFs with one continuous Bates range, adds a confidentiality legend and exhibit labels in the same pass, and writes the index as PDF and CSV, on your PC with nothing uploaded. It writes new files and never changes the originals.

How do I Bates number a folder of PDFs with it?

Choose Open a folder, or drop the folder on the window. Set the prefix, digits, and start number, check the order and ranges in the table, then choose Export copies for a numbered copy of each file, or Export PDF for one bound file. The index is written in the same export.

What label formats can I set?

A prefix and a suffix of up to 32 letters, digits, hyphens, underscores, or periods, with no spaces; 1 to 15 digits of zero padding; and a start number of up to 15 digits. ACME000001 is prefix ACME, six digits, start 1. A number wider than the padding is printed in full, never cut short.

Can it add a confidentiality legend and exhibit labels?

Yes, in the same pass as the numbers. The legend, up to 64 characters, goes on every numbered page in its own corner. Exhibit labels go on each file’s first page, counted 1, 2, 3 or A, B, C from any first value up to 9999. Neither can share a position with the Bates number.

What is in the index?

Every file in order with its exhibit label, page count, and first and last Bates number, as a PDF and a CSV. In a bound PDF the index comes first and lists the page where each file begins. The CSV adds the output file name, a SHA-256 hash for each file, and a note for slip sheets.

What happens to a PDF it cannot read?

It is listed with the reason, such as “The file is password protected”, and left out of the range, so numbering stays continuous across the rest. Turn on slip sheets and it gets a one-page placeholder with the reason and one number instead, so the range has no hole.

Can the next production continue from the last number?

Yes. After an export, BatesBind shows where it ended, and Continue sets the start number to the next one. Saved schemes keep the prefix, suffix, digits, start number, and legend for each matter, and a scheme’s start number moves on after each export.

Will it change my original PDFs?

No. Originals are opened for reading only and are never changed. BatesBind writes new files to a file or folder you pick, refuses to save over an original, and a copies export refuses the source folder and any existing file name. A canceled export keeps nothing.

Does anything leave my PC?

No. BatesBind makes no network connections, has no account, and collects no telemetry. It runs in the Windows app sandbox with no declared capabilities. If you export to a folder that a sync app such as OneDrive manages, that app may copy the files under its own settings.

Does it run OCR, redact, or remove old stamps?

No. BatesBind numbers and labels pages. It does not make scans searchable, redact content, or remove stamps added earlier, and it does not write TIFF images or load files. Redact first with a tool built for it, then number the finished PDFs.

Will a court or opposing counsel accept the output?

BatesBind makes no claim about what a court, an ESI or protective order, or opposing counsel will accept. It gives you the controls those documents often specify, such as the prefix, zero padding, label corners, a separate legend, and an index of ranges. Check the order or agreement in your matter. This is not legal advice.

What does it cost, and is there a trial?

BatesBind is a one-time purchase in the Microsoft Store, and the listing shows the current price in your currency. The Store runs a 15-day free trial with every feature, and there is nothing to activate in the app. There is no subscription.

What Windows version do I need?

Windows 10 version 2004 or later, or Windows 11, on an x64 or ARM64 PC, with at least 1 GB of RAM and 300 MB of disk space. A display of 1100 by 720 or larger is recommended.

Still stuck? Email [email protected] after checking the Support Center.

Technical specifications

Technical specifications

Spec Implementation
Data Sovereignty Reads only the folder you open or drop on the window; writes new PDFs and the CSV index only to the file or folder you pick, refusing to save over an original; settings and saved schemes stay in the app’s own local storage
Telemetry Status None; no account, no telemetry, and the app makes no network connections
Core Runtime .NET 10 and WinUI 3 (Windows App SDK), packaged as MSIX; runs in an AppContainer with no declared capabilities; PDF engine is pure managed code
Network Requirements Fully functional offline; the app makes no network connections
Deployment Compatibility Windows 10 version 2004 or later and Windows 11, x64 or ARM64; one-time purchase on the Microsoft Store with a 15-day free trial
Inputs PDF files in a folder you open or drop on the window, with subfolders optional; password-protected and damaged files are listed with the reason
Numbering Prefix and suffix of letters, digits, hyphen, underscore, or period (no spaces); 1 to 15 zero-padded digits; start number up to 15 digits; continuous across the folder or restarted for each file
Labels Bates number, a legend on every page (up to 64 characters), and an exhibit label on each first page (1, 2, 3 or A, B, C); six positions, 6 to 24 pt, 0 to 4 in margin, black, gray, red, or blue
Outputs Numbered copies named by original name, Bates range, or both, with the index as PDF and CSV; or one bound PDF with the index first and a bookmark per file; slip sheets optional
Index CSV UTF-8 with byte-order mark for Excel; number, exhibit, file, output file, pages, first and last Bates, start page (bound PDF), SHA-256, and a note for slip sheets
Not included No OCR, no redaction, no removal of existing stamps, and no TIFF images or load files

Guides by task

Pick the production task in front of you

Choosing a Bates tool

Bates numbering software

When the job is numbering folders of PDFs and recording the ranges, a single-purpose app covers it for a one-time purchase, and the 15-day free trial shows the fit.

Whole-folder productions

Bates stamp a folder of PDFs

Open the folder, check the order and the ranges in the table, move anything out of place, and export the whole set in one run.

Exhibit packages

Add exhibit labels to PDFs

Turn on exhibit labels, pick numbers or letters and a first value, check the preview, and the labels go on in the same export as the Bates numbers.

Confidentiality legends

Confidential stamp on PDF

Type the legend once, choose its corner, and BatesBind stamps it on every numbered page together with the Bates number in a single export.

Production records

Bates production log

Export copies and the CSV index is written beside them: each file's Bates range, pages, output name, and SHA-256 hash, ready to open in Excel.

Related Reading

Quick Tip

Bates Numbers Sideways or Missing on Rotated, Landscape and Cropped Scans: Why It Happens and How to Fix It

Why a Bates stamp prints sideways, upside down or off the page on rotated, landscape and cropped PDF scans, and how to stamp every page upright in the corner.

Workflow

Privilege Logs and Bates Numbers: What Goes in the Log and How to Fill the Bates Column

What FRCP 26(b)(5)(A) and a sample local rule require in a privilege log, where Bates numbers fit for withheld and redacted documents, and how to fill them in.

Workflow

Bates Numbering a Password-Protected PDF: Why Secured Files Get Skipped and What to Do

Why Bates tools skip password-protected and secured PDFs, the difference between open and permissions passwords, and how to keep the range continuous.

Workflow

Bates Numbers Out of Order? How File Sort Order Decides Your Production Sequence

Why Exhibit 10 gets Bates numbers before Exhibit 2, how text and natural sorting differ on Windows, and how to name files so the production order is fixed.

Workflow

CONFIDENTIAL vs HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL - ATTORNEYS' EYES ONLY: What the Designations Mean and How to Stamp Them

How the two tiers in a typical protective order differ, who may see each, where the legend goes, and how to stamp mixed designations.

Workflow

Numbering Exhibits and Pages When You Represent Yourself: A Plain Guide for Self-Represented Litigants

Representing yourself? How courts ask exhibits and pages to be numbered, examples from court guides, and how to label PDFs on Windows without Adobe Acrobat.

A folder in. A numbered production out.

BatesBind numbers every page in one continuous range, adds the legend and exhibit labels in the same pass, and writes the index as PDF and CSV. The originals are never changed, and nothing uploads.

One-time purchase. No subscriptions. Local-first.

Pay once. Own it forever.

One-time purchase on the Microsoft Store · No subscription · Instant install

Get it from Microsoft

Buy through the Microsoft Store—instant install, automatic updates, and a Microsoft receipt for easy expensing. No account needed on our site, and no subscription on Store purchases.

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