When receiving a production from the opposing party, it’s important to confirm that you’ve received all the files and metadata that should be included.  This ensures completeness, prevents missing documents from slipping through, and avoids issues later in review or production.

Below are steps and checks you can use to validate a load file production and its contents.


Validating a load file production


1. Confirm the Delivery Package


Check the folder structure. A standard load file production typically includes:


  • DATA folder: Contains load files with metadata
  • IMAGES folder: TIFFs or PDFs
  • NATIVES folder: Native versions of certain file types. For example, .xlxs, .mp4, .msg, etc.
  • TEXT folder: Document-level extracted or OCR text


Compare against the production specification/order (if provided).  The court’s ESI Protocol or negotiated production format should dictate what components are required.


2. Validate the Load Files


Document metadata load file (.DAT):


  1. Open the .DAT (or .CSV) file in our free Load File Viewer, here.  
  2. Confirm that the number of rows matches the expected number of documents produced.
  3. Spot-check key fields (for example, BEGIN BATES, END BATES, CUSTODIAN, FILE EXT, EMAIL FROM) to make sure metadata was included and that required fields are populated.


Image cross-reference file (.OPT):

  1. Open the .OPT (or other image-based load file) in our free Load File Viewer, here.  
  2. Verify that every document in the .DAT file has a matching reference in the .OPT file.
  3. Check that Bates ranges are sequential and consistent with what’s in the .DAT.


3. Confirm Bates Range and Counts


Sequential numbering:  Ensure there are no gaps in the Bates numbers across the production set. 


Please note:

  • Document families/attachments:  If a parent document (for example, an email) has attachments, the attachments will each have their own Bates ranges. This can create apparent “gaps” between consecutive parent documents, but those gaps are accounted for by the family’s attachments. 

    For assistance with identifying and navigating between parent and child files, please see here. 

    A simple Advanced Search will also let you know if your upload contains files with attachments. This search would look similar to what you see below:



  • Multi-page documents:  Documents with multiple pages (such as PDFs, scanned records, or long email chains) will each consume a sequence of Bates numbers.  For example, a 10-page PDF starting at ABC000100 will end at ABC000109.  The next document would then begin at ABC000110.


Count check: 

  1. Compare the highest and lowest Bates numbers with the number of files to confirm totals line up. 
  2. Once files are uploaded to your GoldFynch case, you can also confirm the count of a specific upload by running an Advanced Search aimed at that particular directory. 
  3. The "matching files" at the top of the screen should be the total files you are expecting. 
  4. For instructions on running a directory search, please see here.  


Privilege logs/redactions: If gaps do exist, confirm whether they correspond to documents withheld for privilege or excluded by agreement.


4. Match Supporting Folders to the Load File

  • Images folder:  Count TIFF/PDF files and make sure the number matches the rows in the .DAT file (or at least aligns with the expected number of imaged documents).

  • Text folder:  Check that each image file has a corresponding text file (unless noted as non-text, like pictures).

  • Natives folder:  Verify that native file references in the .DAT file exist in the NATIVES folder.


5. Spot Check File Types and Metadata

  • Review whether common file types you’d expect are present (emails, spreadsheets, PDFs).

  • Confirm that email families (parent + attachment sets) remain intact. For example, a parent email should have attachments referenced consistently in the .DAT file (For example, in the BEGIN BATES ATTACHMENT and END BATES ATTACHMENT fields).  


6. Address Errors or Discrepancies

  • Common issues to flag:

    • Missing natives (you should receive an automated message from GoldFynch if you attempt to import a production with missing native files)

    • Missing or mismatched text files

    • Non-sequential Bates ranges without explanation

    • Metadata fields that are blank where values should exist


Next steps:

If issues are found, reach out to the producing party for clarification or request a corrected/complete version of the production.