Add Bates numbers to PDFs on your Mac
By Himanshu Ranjan · Updated 8 November 2026
To Bates number PDFs on a Mac with FileDial, select the files in Finder in production order, hold the right Option key and choose Pages › Bates numbering… FileDial makes one numbered copy per file, and the numbers continue across the selection in order. Merge PDFs can join the set into one file afterwards. Everything runs on your Mac, so documents are never uploaded.
How to do it with FileDial
- Put the PDFs in production order, for example by numbering file names.
- Select them in Finder in that order.
- Hold right ⌥ and choose Pages › Bates numbering… and set it up.
- Check the first and last number on each numbered copy.
- If you need a single file, select the numbered copies and choose Combine › Merge PDFs.
Your original file stays untouched. The result is saved beside it, and every result has Undo.
Which option to pick
| Tool | Use it when |
|---|---|
| Bates numbering…Pages | Producing documents: one copy per file, numbers continue across the selection in order. |
| Merge PDFsCombine | Joining the numbered copies into one new PDF, in selection order. |
How Bates numbering works, and what to check
Bates numbering gives every page in a set of documents a unique, sequential identifier, usually a prefix plus a zero-padded number. It is standard in litigation and discovery, and useful anywhere many pages must be referenced unambiguously: audits, insurance claims, regulatory submissions. Unlike ordinary page numbers, the sequence runs across documents, so the second file starts where the first ended.
That is why order is everything. FileDial continues numbers across the selection in order, so decide the production order before you start and select the files that way. Numbering file names first is the most reliable method. Afterwards, note the range each file covers for your production log, and spot-check that no page is missing a stamp.
Finalise everything else first. Redactions should be burned in and checked before numbering, since a page that changes after stamping undermines the point of the system. Keep the unnumbered originals, which FileDial leaves untouched beside each copy.
- Redact and verify first, then Bates number.
- One numbered copy per file keeps the production structure intact.
- Merge afterwards only if the recipient wants a single PDF.
Why productions shouldn't go through online tools
Documents being Bates numbered are, almost by definition, confidential: client files, medical records, contracts, correspondence. Uploading them to a free stamping site adds a third party to the chain. Cybernews reported in July 2024 that two online PDF services left storage open, exposing 89,062 user-uploaded files including passports, IDs, certificates and contracts.
The FBI Denver Field Office's March 2025 warning notes that free online document tools can return files carrying malware leading to ransomware. FileDial numbers on your Mac and works offline. It makes no legal or compliance guarantees, so follow your own court's or firm's rules on format.
Other ways to Bates number on a Mac
macOS does not include Bates numbering; Preview has no stamping or numbering feature. Without a dedicated tool, people add text boxes page by page, which is error-prone across hundreds of pages, or turn to paid PDF editors.
FileDial handles it from Finder in one gesture: numbers continue across the whole selection, each file keeps its own numbered copy, merging is one more gesture, and Undo is there on every result.
Questions
Do Bates numbers continue across multiple PDFs?
Yes. Bates numbering… makes one copy per file, and the numbers continue across the selection in order, so the second file picks up where the first one ended.
How do I control the order?
FileDial follows selection order. Select files one by one with Command-click, or number the file names first so they sort correctly, then select them all.
Can I get one combined PDF?
Yes. After numbering, select the numbered copies and choose Combine › Merge PDFs to make one new PDF in selection order. The separate numbered copies stay in place.
Is FileDial suitable for legal productions?
It adds Bates numbers on your Mac without uploading files, but it makes no legal or compliance guarantees. Check your court's or firm's format requirements.
What does it cost?
A 1-day free trial with every tool, no card and no account, then $20 once for a lifetime licence on 2 Macs, with a 14-day refund.