TESS Search: USPTO Field Code Search

TESS Search gives you the same structured query capabilities as the USPTO's TESS system — field codes, boolean operators, wildcards, and combinable search steps. Built for practitioners who need precise, examiner-grade control over their queries.

What You Can Do

• Search using 18+ USPTO-style field codes
• Combine multiple search steps with boolean operators (AND, NOT)
• Use wildcards (* for multiple characters, ? for one character)
• Build complex queries with parenthetical grouping
• Save and load search sessions
• View a step-by-step audit trail of your search history

How It Works

1. Navigate to TESS Search — Click "TESS" under Search in the sidebar, or go to /tess-search
2. Enter a field code query — The value comes first, then the bracketed field code: value[code] (e.g., moonlight[comb] AND "043"[ic])
3. Run the search — Results appear in a paginated table (100 per page)
4. Add more steps — Each search creates a step in the audit trail. Combine steps with boolean operators.
5. Sort and export — Sort by filing date, registration date, or mark name

Field Codes

The field code goes after the value, in square brackets: value[code]. Wrap values that contain spaces in double quotes, and group multiple values for one code in parentheses — e.g. ("009" "042")[ic].

Mark Fields

Code	Description	Example
[comb]	Mark contains	*aurora*[comb]
[comb:word]	Exact word match	dura[comb:word]
[fm]	Full mark (exact)	DURA[fm]

Owner & Goods

Code	Description	Example
[on]	Owner name	"APPLE INC."[on]
[gs]	Goods & services	"clothing"[gs]

Classification

Code	Description	Example
[ic]	International class	"028"[ic] or ("009" "042")[ic]
[cc]	Coordinated classes	"006"[cc]
[us]	US subclasses	("A" "B" "200")[us]
[dc]	Design codes	261713[dc]

Numbers & Dates

Code	Description	Example
[sn]	Serial number	98915985[sn]
[rn]	Registration number	5678901[rn]
[fd]	Filing date range	2023-01-01:2024-12-31[fd]
[rd]	Registration date range	*:2023-12-31[rd]

Filters

Code	Description	Values
[ld]	Live/dead status	live[ld] or dead[ld] (or NOT dead[ld])
[st]	Standard characters	standard[st]
[rg]	Register type	principal[rg] or supplemental[rg]
[md]	Mark type	word[md], design[md], or combined[md]
[cb]	Filing basis	1a[cb], 1b[cb], or grouped (1a 1b)[cb]

Operators & Wildcards

• AND — both conditions must match: moon[comb] AND "043"[ic] (all clauses are AND'd together by default)
• NOT — exclude matches: NOT dead[ld]
• Parentheses — group multiple values for one field code: ("009" "042")[ic]
• OR via set operations — there is no OR keyword; run multiple searches separately, then combine the resulting steps
• * — zero or more characters: ZEB* matches ZEBRA, ZEB
• ? — exactly one character: ?OG matches DOG, FOG, LOG

TESS Search vs Power Search

Feature	TESS Search	Power Search
Query style	Field codes + boolean	Natural language
Similarity matching	Manual (wildcards, phonetic expansion)	Automatic (phonetic + trigram)
Search steps	Combinable audit trail	Single query
Session save/load	Yes	No
Best for	Precise, examiner-grade queries	Quick, ranked-relevance results

Tips

• Start broad, then narrow — run a [comb] search first, then combine with [ic] or [ld] in a second step
• Use live[ld] (or NOT dead[ld]) to filter to live marks only — removes dead/abandoned marks from results
• Open-ended dates — use * on either side of the colon, e.g. 2023-01-01:*[fd]; dates accept YYYY-MM-DD or YYYYMMDD
• Save your session if you're building a complex multi-step search — you can reload it later
• Combine with Power Search — use TESS for precision, Power Search for discovery

What's Included in Each Plan

TESS Search is available on Professional and Max plans.

Related Features

• Power Search — AI-ranked natural language search
• Knockout Search — Automated examiner-style availability check