PRACTICAL GUIDE
Electronic court bundle checklist
Before filing an electronic court bundle, check the document order, linked index, pagination, bookmarks, searchable text, file size and any media evidence. Then review the exported PDF against the rules and directions for your hearing.
Start with the court's directions
This guide concerns courts in England and Wales, not every UK jurisdiction. The Judiciary's general electronic-bundle guidance expressly excludes tribunal hearings and is subject to court-specific guidance and individual case directions. Check the applicable rules, specialist court guide and latest order first. This is preparation guidance, not legal advice or a guarantee of acceptance.
Sources checked on . The general guidance is dated 29 November 2021; the current Family PD27A took effect on 2 March 2026. Requirements can change.
Printable checklist
Tick each item after checking the final output. You can also print this page using your browser's print command. Ticks are not saved.
1. Document order
General preparation advice
Agree the contents where possible. Use clear document titles and dates, remove unnecessary duplicates and arrange the documents in the order required for the hearing.
Rules and court-specific requirements
For civil trial bundles, CPR PD32 paragraphs 27.5 and 27.14 address contents and chronological ordering of contemporaneous documents, unless the court directs otherwise. Family proceedings have their own contents and ordering rules in PD27A. There is no single document order for every court.
2. Indexing
General preparation advice
Check every title, date and page reference against the final PDF. Open each index link and confirm that it reaches the correct document.
Rules and court-specific requirements
The Judiciary's general guidance requires each index entry to link to the indexed document. Civil trial bundles must be indexed with a description of each document and its page number under CPR PD32 paragraph 27.8.
Source: General guidance, paragraph 3.
3. Pagination
General preparation advice
Check the first and last pages, section boundaries and any inserted pages. Compare the visible page numbers with the PDF viewer and with any paper copy.
Rules and court-specific requirements
The general guidance requires computer-generated numbering from page 1 on the first page, including any index, sequentially through the bundle and matching PDF numbering. Family PD27A uses different numbering systems for financial remedy and other proceedings; check paragraphs 6.2, 7.2 and 11.2(c), and the court's directions.
Source: General guidance, paragraph 2; see also Family PD27A.
4. Bookmarks
General preparation advice
Expand the bookmark pane and test the section and document destinations. Use short, recognisable descriptions and check page references.
Rules and court-specific requirements
The general guidance requires bookmarks for all significant documents and all sections, with a short description containing the document's page number. Family PD27A paragraph 11.2(d) also addresses bookmarks.
Source: General guidance, paragraph 3.
5. Searchable text
General preparation advice
Search for a distinctive phrase in each scanned document and try selecting and copying text. Review OCR results for errors and check that all pages remain legible.
Rules and court-specific requirements
Under the general guidance, pages containing typed text that were not created directly as electronic text documents must undergo optical character recognition (OCR). Family PD27A paragraph 11.2(e) contains the same OCR requirement.
Source: General guidance, paragraph 4.
6. File size and page limits
General preparation advice
Check the final PDF's size and page count before filing. Keep scans legible while avoiding unnecessarily large files; confirm the permitted delivery method rather than assuming a sharing link will be accepted.
Rules and court-specific requirements
The general guidance specifies no more than 300 dpi and an electronically optimised file. Its stated 36 MB limit is for the aggregate email and attachments to justice.gov addresses, not a universal bundle limit. Family PD27A paragraph 11.2(b) sets a default 350-page A4 e-bundle limit, exceeded only with permission. Check the relevant court's current limits and directions.
Source: General guidance, paragraph 9 and Delivering e-bundles; see also Family PD27A.
7. Media evidence
General preparation advice
Identify each recording clearly. Agree how it will be lodged and played, test playback and access, and confirm whether a transcript or another accessible version is needed.
Rules and court-specific requirements
A link in a PDF is not itself permission to use a recording. Check case-specific directions and court facilities. Family PD27A paragraph 5.2 excludes voice notes and other recordings from the bundle unless the court directs otherwise. HMCTS presentation guidance explains equipment, not admissibility.
Source: HMCTS digital presentations guidance; see also Family PD27A.
8. Final review and filing
General preparation advice
Open the exported PDF, not just the working preview. Check legibility, orientation, links, bookmarks, redactions and the final filename. Confirm recipients, filing deadline and that everyone has the same version.
Rules and court-specific requirements
The general guidance requires PDF format, correct landscape orientation, no upside-down pages and a default 100% view. The filename must identify the case reference, short case name and bundle contents. Follow the court's delivery directions. For late additions, ask the court how to provide the new material and revised bundle.
Source: General guidance, paragraphs 1, 5, 6 and 10 and Delivering e-bundles.
Preparing your bundle with Bundle-B
Bundle-B lets you upload PDF documents, order them and organise sections. It generates an index with document titles, dates, page ranges and clickable links, adds page numbers, and creates section and document bookmarks. A back-to-index link helps navigate each page when an index is included. You can preview the PDF and add a Media Exhibits page with links to uploaded recordings.
Always review the exported bundle against the directions for your hearing before filing. Explore the features, follow how to create a bundle, or compare plans and pricing.