How to Use InPASS: Patent Search in India, Step by Step

InPASS (Indian Patent Advanced Search System) is the Indian Patent Office's free public portal for searching all published and granted Indian patents — at iprsearch.ipindia.gov.in. Anyone can use it without registration: type what you're looking for, solve a CAPTCHA, and search across titles, abstracts, full specifications, applicants, inventors and classification codes. This guide walks through every feature step by step — including the portal's quirks — and explains when a free InPASS search is enough, and when it isn't.

(Guide verified against the live portal in August 2026. The interface has not changed materially since 2019, so screenshots should match what you see.)

What InPASS covers (and what it doesn't)

• Covers: every Indian patent application published under Section 11A (applications stay confidential for 18 months from filing/priority, so very recent filings won't appear), and every granted Indian patent. Records include bibliographic data, abstracts, and the complete specification text.
• Doesn't cover: unpublished applications (the 18-month window), foreign patents (use WIPO PATENTSCOPE or Google Patents — comparison below), and it is not a real-time docket — status data lags the file by days.

What InPASS can see at each stage of an application’s life.

The four tools inside InPASS

Step-by-step: your first search

The Patent Search form at iprsearch.ipindia.gov.in/publicsearch.

Step 1 — Open iprsearch.ipindia.gov.in/publicsearch. No login needed. (IMG-1)

Step 2 — Pick the publication type. Two checkboxes: Published and Granted. Quirk #1: they are mutually exclusive — ticking one silently unticks the other. You cannot search both in one pass; run your search twice, once per type. (Search "Published" first: it includes applications that may block yours even if never granted.)

Step 3 — Choose a search field. The second dropdown offers 16 fields: Title, Abstract, Complete Specification, Application/Publication/Patent Number, Applicant Name/Country/Address, Inventor Name/Country/Address, Filing Office, IPC classification, and PCT Application/Publication Number. Start with Title, then broaden to Abstract, then Complete Specification as you loosen the net.

Step 4 — Type your query using InPASS syntax (this is where most DIY searches fail):

Step 5 — Stack conditions with Add. Each row = one field + one query, joined with AND/OR/NOT. A serious novelty screen is typically: Title/Abstract keyword row + IPC class row + date range.

Step 6 — CAPTCHA and search. Quirk #2: a fresh CAPTCHA is mandatory for every single search — there is no way around it, and sessions expire quickly. Compose your query fully before solving it.

Step 7 — Read the results. You get a count ("Total Document(s): 163"), paginated rows of Application Number · Title · Application Date · Status, and a per-row Application Status shortcut. (Example: a Title search for drone on Published applications returned 163 Indian filings, from crop-monitoring spectrometers to drone-swarm fire suppression.)*

Step 8 — Open a record. Click the application number. Quirk #3: records open in a new window — if nothing happens, your popup blocker ate it. Allow popups for ipindia.gov.in. The record shows: full bibliographic table (publication number/date, filing date, priority data, field of invention, IPC codes), inventor and applicant tables with addresses, the Abstract, the Complete Specification text inline, and a View Application Status button.

Searching by application number

If you already hold a number (your filing receipt, a competitor's published application, a cited document):

1. For the full record: Patent Search tab → field = Application Number → paste the number (format: 202641088324) → CAPTCHA → the record with abstract and specification.
2. For prosecution status only: Application Status tab → number + CAPTCHA → current stage (awaiting examination, FER issued, replied, granted, refused…). This is the tab to watch after you file. (Detailed walkthrough incl. what every stage means and its deadlines: our application-status guide.)
3. For a granted patent's life status: Patent E-register tab → patent number + CAPTCHA → whether it's in force, and the renewal-fee history. Essential for freedom-to-operate questions — though a lapsed patent isn't automatically a green light. (Full guide incl. restoration traps: our E-register guide.)

Seven quirks to know before you start

1. Published/Granted checkboxes are mutually exclusive — always run both passes.
2. New CAPTCHA for every search; no session survives idling.
3. Record details open in popups — whitelist the site.
4. Dates use MM/dd/yyyy (US order), not Indian convention.
5. No export/download of result lists — copy what you need manually.
6. Spelling matters: Indian applicant names transliterate inconsistently (Lakshmi/Laxmi). Use wildcards and OR rows for name variants.
7. The engine indexes exactly what was filed — typos in old filings are searchable only with wildcards. Searching only Titles misses inventions titled obscurely; broaden to Abstract/Specification before concluding "nothing exists".

InPASS vs Google Patents vs WIPO PATENTSCOPE

A competent India search uses all three: InPASS for the authoritative Indian record, Google Patents to read comfortably, PATENTSCOPE for families. (Our detailed PATENTSCOPE guide: our PATENTSCOPE guide.)

A free search is not a patentability opinion

InPASS tells you what exists; it cannot tell you whether your invention is patentable over what exists. Professional patentability searches differ in three ways: (1) claim-level analysis, not title-matching; (2) coverage of global prior art and non-patent literature; (3) a reasoned opinion on novelty and inventive step you can act on — including how to draft around near-hits. That's why a DIY InPASS pass is the right first step, and a professional patent search is the right step before spending on drafting and filing.

FAQ

Is InPASS free? Yes — free, public, no registration. You only spend effort on CAPTCHAs.

How do I check if my idea is already patented in India? Search Published + Granted separately: Title first, then Abstract, then Complete Specification, using wildcards and synonyms; add an IPC-class row for thoroughness. Absence in InPASS alone isn't proof of novelty — foreign prior art counts against Indian applications too.

Can I search an application's status by number? Yes — Application Status tab with the application number. For granted patents, use Patent E-register with the patent number to see if it's in force.

Why can't I find a recently filed application? Applications are published ~18 months after filing/priority (unless early publication was requested). Until then they're confidential and invisible to every search tool.

What do INA/publication types mean? Publication codes indicate the publication stage (e.g., early/ordinary publication under 11A). The record's Status column shows Published vs Granted.

Does a granted patent stay in force forever? No — 20 years from filing, and only if renewal fees are paid from year 3 onward. E-register shows the payment record; lapsed patents can sometimes be restored, so read carefully before assuming freedom to operate.

Found something close to your invention — or found nothing and want to be sure? Get a professional patentability search with a reasoned opinion → Talk to our patent team.

This guide is for general information and education only and is not legal advice.