Add Page Numbers & Bates Stamps to PDF
A free PDF page-numbering tool that runs entirely in your browser. Six positions, seven number formats (including Bates-style stamps with custom prefix and zero-padding), skip-first-N for cover pages, and start-at any number for continuing sequences. Adobe Acrobat gates Bates numbering behind their Pro plan; iLovePDF, Smallpdf, and PDF24 do not offer Bates at all. We ship full Bates support free, alongside the standard formats. The PDF never leaves your device, which matters for legal exhibits and other confidential documents that need a numbering pass.
Drop your PDF here, or click to choose
Numbering happens in your browser. Nothing is uploaded.
🔒 The PDF is numbered in your browser. Confirm zero uploads in Developer Tools → Network.
Six reasons this beats the alternatives
What separates a browser-side, Bates-capable numberer from competitors that upload and charge for the basics.
Bates numbering, free
Legal-style sequential stamps like DOC-000001, EXHIBIT-A-001, BATES-00001. Adobe Acrobat gates Bates behind Pro ($20+/mo). iLovePDF, Smallpdf, and PDF24 do not offer it at all. Gizmoop ships it free.
Six positions plus custom margin
Top-left, top-center, top-right, bottom-left, bottom-center, bottom-right. Margin slider (0-120 pt) keeps numbers in the safe area of any page size.
Seven number formats
Plain (1, 2, 3), with total (1 / 50), "Page 1", "Page 1 of 50", Roman (i, ii, iii), letters (a, b, c), or Bates with custom prefix and zero-padding (3-10 digits).
Skip cover, start at any number
Set "Skip first N pages" to leave cover or TOC unnumbered. Set "Start at" to continue a sequence from a previous document. Useful for multi-volume reports and legal exhibits.
Three professional fonts
Helvetica (sans), Times Roman (serif), Courier (monospace). Matches typical document typography. Live preview shows the exact label before applying.
100% browser-based
pdf-lib runs locally. Confidential legal exhibits stay on your device. iLovePDF, Smallpdf, and PDF24 all upload server-side.
When you need page numbers (or Bates stamps)
Real workflows where numbering is required, not optional.
Legal discovery and exhibits
Bates numbering is mandatory for discovery in most jurisdictions. Each page gets a unique sortable identifier. Adobe charges for it; we provide it free with custom prefix support.
Court filings and briefs
Most courts require page numbers on filed documents. Position bottom-center, Page 1 of N format, 11pt Helvetica is the conventional default.
Academic submissions
Journals and conferences require numbered pages for review. Roman numerals for front matter, Arabic for the body, with the skip-first option to handle the cover.
Business reports and proposals
Multi-section reports benefit from clear page numbers for cross-reference. Bottom-right "Page N of M" matches business style.
Book and manuscript drafts
Long-form writing needs page numbers from the start. Use Roman for front matter, switch formats per section by running the tool twice on different page ranges.
E-filing for government forms
Many government e-filing systems require page numbers in a specific position. The 6-position grid plus custom margin lets you match any specification.
About PDF page numbering
How numbering actually works, what Bates numbering is, and how Gizmoop compares to the alternatives.
What is Bates numbering?
Bates numbering (named after the Bates stamping machine invented in the 1890s) is a sequential page identifier used in legal discovery, e-discovery, and government records. Each page gets a unique stamp like DOC-000001, DOC-000002, etc. The stamps make it possible to refer to specific pages unambiguously in depositions, briefs, and motions ("see DOC-000245"). Modern e-discovery platforms require it; many courts require it on filed documents.
The format usually includes a prefix (project code, party identifier, exhibit label) and a zero-padded number wide enough to cover the document set (5-7 digits is common). Our tool exposes both: set the prefix to anything, pick the digit count (3-10), and apply. Adobe Acrobat is the traditional Bates tool but the feature is gated behind their Pro plan. We provide it free.
The seven numbering formats
1, 2, 3 is the minimalist option: just the number. 1 / 50 includes the total. Page 1 spells it out. Page 1 of 50 is the most explicit and the most common business default. Roman numerals (i, ii, iii, iv) are conventional for front matter (TOC, preface, acknowledgments). Letters (a, b, c) are used for appendices and supplementary material. Bates uses a custom prefix with zero-padded numbers.
Mix formats by running the tool multiple times on different page ranges. Front matter pages: Roman, skip-first 0. Body pages: Arabic with "Page N of M", skip-first equal to your front matter length. Appendices: letters, start-at 1. Each run produces a new file; chain them via merge if you need a single output, or use the tool on the merged document with skip-first set per section.
Position and margin
Six standard positions cover almost every layout: the three top corners and the three bottom corners. Most documents use bottom-center; legal exhibits often use bottom-right; some headers use top-right. The margin slider controls how far in from the edge the number sits. 36 PDF points (about half an inch) is the default and matches typical page-margin standards. For documents with content that extends close to the edge, increase the margin to push the number deeper into the safe area.
Skip cover and start-at: handling multi-section documents
A typical report has a cover page that should not be numbered, then a few front-matter pages numbered i, ii, iii, then body pages numbered 1, 2, 3. To produce this with our tool:
First run: format Roman, skip-first 1, start-at 1. This numbers pages 2 through N as i, ii, iii, ... Second run: download the result of the first run, drop it in again, switch to Arabic format ("Page 1 of N"), set skip-first to (1 + number of front-matter pages), start-at 1. Now body pages are numbered. The cover page remains clean.
For Bates numbering across a multi-document set where one number sequence spans many files, use the start-at value to continue from where the previous file ended. File 1: start-at 1, last page DOC-000050. File 2: start-at 51, first page DOC-000051. The numbering remains continuous across files.
Why browser-side matters for legal docs
Legal exhibits are by their nature confidential. Uploading exhibits to a third-party server for Bates stamping is an unnecessary exposure: every PDF, every exhibit number, every document name passes through someone else's infrastructure, even if briefly. Gizmoop's page numberer runs entirely in your browser. The exhibits never leave your device. Open Developer Tools and confirm no uploads happen during processing. This is the right posture for any document where confidentiality is policy or law.
Font and size choices
Three professional fonts cover almost every document style. Helvetica (sans-serif) matches modern business documents and is the default. Times Roman (serif) matches traditional legal and academic typography. Courier (monospace) is used in some specialized contexts and gives a typewriter look. Size defaults to 11 pt which prints cleanly on 8.5" x 11" and A4 pages; smaller sizes (9-10 pt) feel more polished for headers, larger sizes (12-14 pt) are easier to spot at a glance in image-heavy or low-contrast documents.
Working with password-protected PDFs
The tool cannot modify encrypted PDFs directly. If you need to number a protected file, use our Unlock PDF tool first (you must know the password; we do not crack passwords). The password is processed in your browser only. After numbering, run the result through Protect PDF to re-encrypt with the same or a new password. The entire chain runs locally without uploading.
What survives the numbering pass
Everything. The original page content is untouched; the number is drawn as additional content on top of each page. Text remains selectable. Images remain images. Form fields, annotations, hyperlinks, and bookmarks are all preserved. Digital signatures invalidate because the file content changed (this is a property of PDF signing, not our tool). If signatures must remain valid, do not number signed PDFs.
Comparison with iLovePDF, PDF24, Adobe Acrobat, and Sejda
iLovePDF /add-pdf-page-number: free, server-side, modern UI, no Bates support. PDF24 /add-page-numbers: free, server-side, granular controls, no Bates. Smallpdf: page is sometimes behind their dashboard; no Bates. Adobe Acrobat Pro: full feature set including Bates, $20+/month, desktop only for full Bates support. Sejda: numbers + position + font, capped at 50 MB / 200 pages / 3 tasks per hour. Gizmoop: full feature set including Bates, no upload, no caps, no signup, free.
Print and reader compatibility
The numbers are rendered using standard PDF fonts (Helvetica, Times Roman, Courier) that ship with every PDF reader by spec. The output prints exactly as it appears on screen. Adobe Reader, Preview, Chrome's PDF viewer, Edge, Foxit, and every mobile reader display the numbers identically. There are no rendering surprises across readers.
What does not work yet
A few features are on the roadmap but not in the current version: per-page-range numbering in a single pass (currently you run the tool multiple times to achieve this), live drag-position with thumbnail preview, color and shadow controls. For documents with simple numbering needs (90% of cases), the current tool covers everything. For complex multi-format documents, the multi-run workflow above achieves the same result with a few extra steps.
Frequently asked questions
If you don't find your question here, ask us directly.
Drop your PDF, pick a position (6 corners + edges), choose a format (Page 1 of 50, Bates DOC-000001, roman numerals, and more), set font and size, and click Add page numbers. Download the result. Everything runs in your browser; nothing is uploaded.
Bates numbering (also called Bates stamping or Bates labeling) is a sequential identifier stamped on every page of a legal document set, like DOC-000001, DOC-000002, etc. It is used in discovery for litigation, e-discovery, government records, and any context where every page needs a unique, sortable ID. Adobe Acrobat gates Bates behind their Pro plan; we provide it free.
Yes. Set "Start numbering at" to any value (e.g. 1000 if you want the first numbered page to read 1000, 1001, 1002, ...). Useful when continuing a numbering sequence across multiple documents, or for legal exhibits that follow a master numbering scheme.
Set "Skip first N pages" to 1. The first page stays unstamped; numbering starts on the second page. Combine with "Start numbering at" if you want the second page to read "1" rather than "2".
Yes. Choose the Bates format and set your prefix (e.g. "EXHIBIT-A-"). The numbers are zero-padded to your chosen width (3-10 digits). Common legal styles: BATES-000001, DOC-001, PLT-00001.
Six positions: top-left, top-center, top-right, bottom-left, bottom-center, bottom-right. The most common is bottom-center for documents and bottom-right for exhibits or invoices.
Yes. Pick the lowercase Roman format (i, ii, iii, iv, ...) for front matter (table of contents, preface). For body content, switch back to Arabic numerals in a separate run on the body pages.
Adjust the Margin setting (in PDF points; 36 = ~half inch). Larger margin pushes the number toward the page edge. If your document has content close to the edge, increase the margin to keep the number in the clear margin area. The Preview shows your current settings before applying.
No. Page numbering uses pdf-lib running in your browser. Open Developer Tools → Network during processing to confirm zero outbound transfers. Confidential legal documents stay on your device.
iLovePDF and PDF24 offer page numbers free but upload server-side and do not support Bates numbering. Smallpdf has the tool but its page is sometimes behind their dashboard. Adobe Acrobat Pro supports Bates but costs $20+/month. Gizmoop offers full page numbering, Bates, Roman, letters, custom prefix and start, all free, all in-browser.
No. Gizmoop has no daily limits, no hourly limits, no signup, no Premium tier. Number as many PDFs as you want.
The tool cannot modify encrypted PDFs directly. Use our Unlock PDF tool first (you must know the password) to remove encryption locally, then add page numbers, then optionally re-protect with our Protect PDF tool.
Yes. The text is rendered as part of the PDF page content using standard PDF fonts (Helvetica, Times Roman, Courier). It prints exactly as it appears on screen. For a quick sanity check, print one page from the output before doing a full print run.
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