Tenthlining a court PDF means placing a number on every tenth line so a judge, advocate, or clerk can cite a specific line. In Kenya this is commonly required on appeal filings. The process on Tenthlining is: prepare a PDF, upload it, preview the numbered file, pay KES 5 per page with M-Pesa, then download.
You do not need an account. The service accepts text PDFs and scanned (image) PDFs up to 500MB.
What should you do before you upload?
Most delays happen before the file reaches the numbering step. Spend a few minutes on the PDF itself.
- Use a PDF, not Word. The tool processes PDF only. Convert from Word or a scanner first.
- Put the pages in filing order. Line numbers follow the page order in the file. If volume 2 is scanned before volume 1, the numbers will still be “correct” on the wrong sequence.
- Prefer a readable scan. For paper records, a straight, reasonably sharp scan is easier to number than a skewed phone photo. The service can process scans, but poor images produce poorer line detection.
- Decide about page numbers. If the document already has page numbers you want to keep, tick My document already has page numbers on the upload form so new page numbers are not added on top.
- Stay within 500MB. That is Tenthlining’s upload limit. Court e-filing portals often have a smaller limit. You may still need to split volumes for the judiciary portal even if this site accepts the full file.
How does the Tenthlining process work?
1. Upload
Go to the upload page, drop in the PDF, and start processing. No login is required.
2. Automatic numbering
The system counts lines of text and places a number on every tenth line (10, 20, 30, and so on). Text PDFs are numbered on the existing text. Scanned PDFs are read first, then numbered.
3. Preview
Open the preview before you pay. Check several pages, not only the first page: a cover page, a typical pleading page, and a page with tables or stamps. Confirm that numbers sit on real lines of text and that the interval is every tenth line.
4. Pay with M-Pesa
The charge is KES 5 per page. Payment is by M-Pesa after preview. If the preview looks wrong, do not pay — contact support with a short description of the page that failed.
5. Download, then keep your own copy
Download the numbered PDF immediately after payment. Files are deleted 3 hours after a successful download. Unpaid or unused files are deleted within 24 hours. Tenthlining is not a document archive; save the file in your matter folder.
The same steps are summarised on How it works.
How should you check the file before e-filing?
Tenthlining numbers lines. It does not file the appeal for you. Before you upload to a court portal:
- Open the downloaded PDF on your computer and scroll through it.
- Confirm the page order still matches your index.
- Confirm line numbers are visible when printed or when the PDF is zoomed to 100%.
- Check the court portal’s own size, naming, and format rules. Those rules are separate from this website.
How long does it take?
Time depends on page count and whether the PDF is a clean text file or a large scan. The upload page shows an estimate after you select the file. Large scanned records take longer than short text submissions.