Provisional Patent Drafting
A provisional patent application secures an early filing date for an invention without being examined. Filing one is strategically important when the idea is ready but the complete application is not.
before a complete application
must claim priority from the
provisional.
What the interval is for
The provisional holds the priority date while the time between filings gets used for the things that make the complete application stronger.
Provisional filed
Priority date is secured. The invention can be described as patent pending.
Prior art search
A thorough search is run now that there's a filing to protect while it's done.
Further development
Features added to the invention can be captured when the complete application is drafted.
Investor conversations & market decisions
A pending filing goes in the pitch deck, and there's time to decide which countries justify a complete application.
Complete or international application filed
Claims priority from the provisional. Anything added in the meantime takes the later date instead.
Provisional first, or straight to complete?
Which one makes sense depends on how settled the invention already is.
File a provisional
Secures the date sooner and asks less of you at the outset — features added during the interval get captured later, and there's time to search the art before claims are settled.
Go straight to complete
Where the invention is stable and the prior art is already known, drafting the complete application directly can make more sense.
What goes into the filing
A comprehensive provisional carries three things, because a priority date only helps for subject matter the filing actually describes.
- A description section covering as many embodiments of the invention as possible.
- High-level independent and dependent claims.
- Drawings that support the embodiments set out in the description.
Thin filing or comprehensive filing
| Thin filing | Comprehensive filing | |
|---|---|---|
| Coverage | Describes the invention narrowly, close to a single embodiment | Description, claims and drawings cover as many embodiments as possible |
| Later claims | Priority only helps for what's actually described — strongest features can end up unsupported | The complete application can be built on the provisional rather than started again from nothing |
A priority date is only as strong as what the filing actually describes.
Who it's for
Startups & inventors
Need a filing date now, before the complete application is ready to write.
Teams still developing
Still adding features to the invention and not ready to lock the claims in.
Founders
Want a pending application to put in a pitch deck.
What you receive
- A comprehensive provisional patent application prepared for filing
- A set of high-level independent and dependent claims
- A description section covering as many embodiments of the invention as possible
- Drawings that support the embodiments set out in the description
Frequently asked questions
What is a provisional patent application?
A filing that secures an early priority date for an invention. It's not examined and it doesn't grant. Its value is the date — a later application on the same subject matter can claim priority from it, and the invention can be described as patent pending in the meantime. The interval that follows is used to run a prior art search, add features, talk to investors, or decide which markets justify a complete application.
Why file a provisional instead of going straight to a complete application?
A provisional secures the date sooner and asks less of you at the outset. It suits an invention still developing, since features added during the interval get captured when the complete application is drafted. It also leaves room to run a thorough prior art search before the claims are settled. Where the invention is stable and the prior art is already known, going straight to a complete application can make more sense.
How detailed does a provisional application need to be?
Detailed enough to support whatever you later claim. A priority date only helps for subject matter the provisional actually describes, so a thin filing can leave the strongest features unsupported when the complete application is written. A comprehensive provisional carries drawings, high-level claims, and a description with as many embodiments as possible, so the complete application can be built on it rather than started from nothing.
What happens after the provisional is filed?
The provisional holds the priority date while you use the time — a prior art search, further development, investor conversations, and a decision on which countries matter. Before the deadline runs out, a complete or international application is filed claiming priority from the provisional. Subject matter added in the meantime can be included, though it takes the later date rather than the provisional's priority date.
Get your priority date secured
Tell us about the invention and how much of it is settled, and we'll scope the provisional filing.
