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

Navigate to TESS Search — Click “TESS” under Search in the sidebar, or go to /tess-search
Enter a field code query — The value comes first, then the bracketed field code: value[code] (e.g., moonlight[comb] AND "043"[ic])
Run the search — Results appear in a paginated table (100 per page)
Add more steps — Each search creates a step in the audit trail. Combine steps with boolean operators.
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

TESS Search: USPTO Field Code Search