Running text along the top or bottom of every page — a document title, a “Confidential” note, a date, a “Page 3 of 12” counter — is what makes a stack of pages read as one finished document. And in legal and accounting work, a stricter cousin exists: Bates numbering, a unique sequential stamp on every page so any of them can be cited exactly. This guide covers headers and footers, Bates numbering, and how they differ from plain page numbers.
How to add a header or footer
Ream’s Header & Footer adds a line of text to the top and/or bottom of every page:
- Add your PDF to Header & Footer.
- Type your header and/or footer. Drop in placeholders where you want them filled: {page} for the current page, {n} for the total, and {date} for today’s date.
- Apply & download. The text is centred at the top and bottom, sized to the page, on every page.
Common examples: a footer of “Confidential — Page {page} of {n}”, or a header with the document title and {date}.
How to add Bates numbering
Bates numbering stamps a unique, sequential identifier on every page — like ABC-000001, ABC-000002 — the standard way legal, accounting and eDiscovery teams label documents so any page can be referred to unambiguously. With Bates Numbering:
- Add your PDF and set a prefix (e.g.
ABC-) and a starting number. - Stamp & download. Ream places a bold, zero-padded number in the bottom-right of every page, increasing by one per page.
Because it stamps in order, you can carry a sequence across several files by setting each file’s start number to one past where the last ended.
Which should you use?
If you just want a number on each page, Add Page Numbers is the focused tool — pick a position and you’re done. If you want text as well — a title, a confidentiality note, a date, or a “Page X of Y” counter — use Header & Footer with its placeholders. And if you’re preparing documents for litigation or an audit where every page must be uniquely citable, that’s Bates Numbering. They’re not mutually exclusive: a contract might carry a footer and Bates numbers.
Order matters. Numbering follows the current page order, so number last — after you’ve merged, reordered or removed pages. And if a set needs sensitive parts hidden, redact first, then stamp, so the Bates numbers sit on the final version.
Is it private, and is it free?
Both Header & Footer and Bates Numbering run entirely in your browser — your file is never uploaded, which matters for confidential case files — and both are free, with no account and no watermark. The stamped text scales to the page, so it stays legible on standard pages and oversized scans alike.
Frequently asked questions
How do I add a header or footer to a PDF? Add the file to Header & Footer, type your text (using {page}, {n} or {date} where you want them filled), and apply it to every page.
How do I show “Page X of Y”? Type Page {page} of {n} — Ream fills in the current page and the total.
What is Bates numbering? A unique, sequential identifier stamped on every page (like ABC-000001), used in legal and eDiscovery work so any page can be cited exactly. Add it with Bates Numbering.
How do I continue Bates numbers across files? Keep the same prefix and set each file’s start number to one after where the previous file ended.
How is this different from page numbers? Page Numbers adds a plain number with position control; Header & Footer adds running text with tokens; Bates adds a unique prefixed sequence for legal use.
Are my files uploaded? No — both tools run entirely in your browser, so confidential files stay on your device.
Is it free? Yes — free, no sign-up, and no watermark.
Headers, footers and Bates numbers are the finishing marks that turn pages into a document others can navigate and cite. Add running text with Header & Footer, a citable sequence with Bates Numbering, or a simple count with Add Page Numbers — and always number last, once the pages are in their final order.
