What Is the Difference Between a Patent, Publication, and Application Number?

Patent records can have multiple numbers, and they do not mean the same thing.

The three most common identifiers are the application number, publication number, and issued patent number.

Application Number

The application number identifies the application filed with the patent office.

In the United States, it often looks like:

• 17/437,360
• 18/356,594

The application number is useful when you want file history, prosecution status, continuity, or examiner activity.

Publication Number

Most US patent applications publish before they issue. A publication number usually looks like:

• US 2022/0182257 A1

Publication numbers are useful because they show the application as published, even before a patent grants. Some published applications never become issued patents.

Issued Patent Number

If the application is allowed and issues, it receives a patent number:

• US 12,155,501 B2

This is the number most people think of as "the patent."

One Invention Can Have Several Records

One application can have a publication and later an issued patent. A patent family can also include continuations, divisionals, foreign counterparts, and related applications. That is why record detection matters.

Why This Matters in Searching

If you search the wrong identifier type in a tool that does not detect it, you may get no result even though the record exists. Patent Bear's search bar accepts patent, publication, and application numbers so you can start with the number you have.

When reviewing a record, look at all three identifiers. They tell you where the document came from, how it moved through prosecution, and whether it became an issued patent.