Bates Numbering and Document Stamping Glossary
Plain-English definitions for the terms that come up when a legal team numbers, labels, watermarks, and produces documents, plus answers to the questions we hear most often.
- Bates map
- A table, usually a CSV or spreadsheet, that records which source file received which beginning and ending Bates number in a production. It is the bridge between the stamped PDFs and the privilege log, the production letter, and the review platform.
- Bates numbering
- The practice of stamping a unique, sequential identifier on every page of a document set so that any page can be cited and located without ambiguity. The identifier normally combines a prefix with a zero-padded number.
- Bates prefix
- The alphabetic portion of a Bates number that identifies the producing party, matter, or volume, such as ACME in ACME000123. Prefixes should be short, unique within the matter, and used consistently across every production.
- Bates range
- The span from the first to the last Bates number in a document or production, often written as a pair like ACME000100 to ACME000145. Ranges are used to cite whole documents and to record what each production contained.
- Beginning Bates and ending Bates
- The first and last Bates numbers on a single document, commonly abbreviated BegBates and EndBates in load files. Together they let a review platform reconstruct document boundaries from a flat sequence of numbered pages.
- Confidentiality designation
- A label applied to a produced document under a protective order to restrict who may view it, such as a standard confidential tier or a more restrictive attorneys-only tier. The order usually dictates the wording and sometimes the placement.
- Custodian
- The person or system from whom a set of documents was collected, such as an employee's mailbox or a shared drive. Productions are often sorted and numbered by custodian so that related documents stay together.
- Deduplication
- The process of identifying and removing exact duplicate files from a collection before review or production, typically by comparing hash values. It reduces volume and avoids producing the same document under multiple Bates numbers.
- Document family
- A parent document and its attachments, such as an email and the files attached to it. Families are usually kept together and numbered consecutively so that the relationship survives production.
- ESI protocol
- An agreement between parties, sometimes entered as a court order, that specifies how electronically stored information will be collected, processed, and produced, including format, metadata fields, and Bates numbering conventions.
- Exhibit label
- A stamp or sticker that identifies a document as a numbered exhibit for a deposition, hearing, or trial, usually including the exhibit number and case reference. It is placed on a copy of the document and should not cover the Bates number.
- Hash value
- A fixed-length fingerprint computed from a file's contents using an algorithm such as MD5 or SHA-256. Matching hashes prove two files are identical, which makes hashes useful for deduplication and for proving originals were not altered.
- Image-only PDF
- A PDF whose pages are pictures of documents with no underlying text layer, typically produced by a scanner. Image-only files cannot be searched and may need OCR before stamped text can be extracted for verification.
- Load file
- A structured text file that accompanies a production and tells a review platform how to import it, listing document boundaries, Bates ranges, metadata, and paths to images or natives. Common formats use delimited text with a fixed field order.
- Native production
- Producing a document in its original file format, such as a spreadsheet or database export, rather than as an image or PDF. Natives are typically produced with a placeholder slip sheet that carries the Bates number, since the file itself cannot be stamped.
- OCR (optical character recognition)
- Software processing that recognizes printed text in a scanned image and adds an invisible, searchable text layer to the PDF. Running OCR before stamping avoids the recognition engine treating the stamp as document content.
- Over-designation
- Marking documents as confidential or privileged more broadly than the protective order or the facts justify, for example by stamping an entire production confidential without review. Many protective orders discourage it and opposing counsel may challenge it.
- Privilege log
- A list of documents withheld from production on privilege or work-product grounds, describing each document enough to let the other side evaluate the claim. Entries usually reference the Bates number of the placeholder or the position in the sequence.
- Production volume
- A single batch of documents served on the other side at one time, often given its own label such as VOL001. Volumes let both sides refer to a specific delivery and help the producing party track ranges across a rolling production.
- Protective order
- A court order that governs how confidential material exchanged in discovery may be used and who may see it. It typically defines the confidentiality tiers, the required legend wording, and the process for challenging a designation.
- Redaction
- Permanently removing privileged or protected content from a document before production, usually by covering it with an opaque box and deleting the underlying text. A redacted page is still Bates numbered and often carries a legend noting the redaction.
- Rolling production
- Producing documents in several volumes over time rather than all at once, common in large matters. Each volume must continue the Bates sequence from where the previous one ended, which makes a maintained ledger essential.
- Slip sheet
- A placeholder page inserted into a production where a document is withheld, produced natively, or intentionally omitted. It carries the Bates number that would otherwise be assigned and a short note explaining why the page stands in for the document.
- Stamp position
- The location on the page where a Bates number, legend, or label is placed, usually described relative to a corner or edge with a margin. Consistent position across a set is what makes the numbers easy to find and read.
- Supplemental production
- An additional production served after the initial one to deliver documents that were located later, corrected, or ordered by the court. It should continue the existing Bates sequence rather than starting a new one.
- Text layer
- The invisible, selectable text embedded in a PDF that allows searching and copying. Native PDFs have it by default; scanned PDFs gain it only through OCR.
- Watermark
- Semi-transparent text or an image placed across or behind a page, commonly used for confidentiality legends, draft markings, or copy identification. Unlike a corner stamp, a watermark is meant to be visible without obscuring the content beneath it.
- Zero-padding
- Adding leading zeros to a Bates number so that every number has the same width, such as 000042 instead of 42. It keeps numbers sorting correctly in file systems and spreadsheets and removes visual ambiguity between short and long numbers.
Questions people ask
What is the difference between Bates numbering and page numbering?
Page numbers restart with every document and identify a position within that document. Bates numbers run continuously across an entire production and identify a single page uniquely among everything produced. A page can be page 3 of a memo and also ACME000517, and only the second identifier means the same thing to everyone in the case.
Is Bates numbering legally required?
No statute requires it in general, but it is a near-universal practice in US litigation and is often specified in an ESI protocol, a scheduling order, or a local rule. Even where it is not required, opposing counsel and the court will expect it, and its absence makes citing and tracking documents difficult for everyone.
How long should a Bates prefix be?
Short enough to type and read quickly, long enough to be unique among the parties in the matter. Three to six letters covers most situations. Prefixes that resemble one another, such as two parties sharing the same first three letters, cause confusion and should be avoided by adding a distinguishing character.
How many digits should a Bates number have?
Enough to exceed any volume the matter could plausibly reach, with room to spare. Running out of digits midway forces a format change that breaks sorting and citation. Since extra zeros cost nothing, most teams choose a generous width at the outset and never revisit it.
Where should the Bates number be placed on the page?
Conventionally in the lower right corner, in a small but legible font, with enough margin that it does not cover content. Consistency matters more than the specific corner. Whatever position is chosen should be used for every page in the production and, ideally, for every production in the matter.
Can I stamp scanned PDFs the same way as native PDFs?
Mechanically yes, but scanned pages often have irregular sizes, skew, and dark borders that push a stamp onto content or off the visible area. Preview a sample of scanned pages before running the batch, and consider running OCR first so the stamped number can later be extracted for verification.
What happens if two pages end up with the same Bates number?
The duplicate must be corrected before the production is served, usually by restamping the affected files from the preserved originals. If the duplicate is discovered after service, the fix is typically a supplemental production with corrected numbers and a cover letter explaining the mapping, since the erroneous numbers may already be cited.
Should I keep the original unstamped files?
Always. Stamped output should be written to a separate folder while the originals stay untouched, ideally read-only and with a hash manifest. The originals are what you restamp from if a run goes wrong and what you rely on to prove the client's files were not altered.
How do I number documents produced in native format?
Natives cannot be stamped, so each one is represented by a slip sheet that carries a single Bates number and a note that the document was produced natively. The native file is usually renamed to match that Bates number so the two can be tied together in the load file.
What is the best way to verify Bates numbering before production?
Combine an automated arithmetic check with a human visual sample. Extract the stamped text from every page, confirm there are no gaps or duplicates and that the range matches the ledger, then visually inspect a sample weighted toward landscape pages, scans, and key documents to catch stamps that are present but unreadable or badly placed.
Do confidentiality watermarks replace Bates numbers?
No. They serve different purposes and are usually applied together. The Bates number identifies the page; the watermark or legend describes how the page may be used under the protective order. The two should be positioned so neither obscures the other.
How should exhibit numbers relate to Bates numbers?
They are independent systems. An exhibit label is assigned when a document is used at a deposition or hearing and applies to a copy of the document, while the Bates number was assigned at production. Transcripts often reference both, so the exhibit label should never cover the Bates stamp.
Who should own the Bates ledger for a matter?
One named person, usually the paralegal or litigation support staffer who runs productions, with a single file in a shared location as the source of truth. The ledger records the last number used, the volume label, and the date for each production, and it is updated only after verification passes.