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 Search” under Search in the sidebar, or go to /tess-search
Enter a field code query — Use the format [field_code] search_term (e.g., [comb] moonlight AND [ic] 043)
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

Mark Fields

Code	Description	Example
`[comb]`	Contains (text in mark)	`[comb] moonlight`
`[comb:word]`	Exact word match	`[comb:word] moon`
`[fm]`	Full mark (exact match)	`[fm] MOONLIGHT COFFEE`

Owner & Goods

Code	Description	Example
`[on]`	Owner name	`[on] Nike`
`[gs]`	Goods & services	`[gs] coffee roasting`

Classification

Code	Description	Example
`[ic]`	International class	`[ic] 009`
`[cc]`	Coordinated classes	`[cc] 009`
`[us]`	US subclasses	`[us] 100`
`[dc]`	Design codes	`[dc] 05.01.01`

Numbers & Dates

Code	Description	Example
`[sn]`	Serial number	`[sn] 90244982`
`[rn]`	Registration number	`[rn] 5818746`
`[fd]`	Filing date range	`[fd] 2025-01-01:2025-12-31`
`[rd]`	Registration date range	`[rd] 2024-01-01:2024-12-31`

Filters

Code	Description	Values
`[ld]`	Live/dead status	`L` or `D`
`[st]`	Standard characters	`Y` or `N`
`[rg]`	Register type	Principal, Supplemental
`[md]`	Mark type	Trademark, Service Mark, etc.
`[cb]`	Filing basis	Use-in-commerce, intent-to-use, etc.

Operators & Wildcards

AND — both conditions must match: [comb] moon AND [ic] 043
NOT — exclude matches: [comb] moon NOT [on] Nike
Parentheses — group conditions: ([comb] moon) AND [ic] 043
OR via set operations — run multiple searches separately, then combine results with OR in the step log
* — zero or more characters: moon* matches moonlight, moonbeam, moon
? — exactly one character: m??n matches moon, mean, moan

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 [ld] L to filter to live marks only — removes dead/abandoned marks from results
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 Firm plans.

Related Features

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

TESS Search: USPTO Field Code Search