European patent search: EP applications and patents
Search runs at search.patentassist.ai: AI agentic search, classic field search and full text across the USPTO, EPO and IP India. Free to start, no signup needed.
European patent search with an AI agent
Search EP applications and granted European patents from the European Patent Office. Describe the invention in plain English and the AI agent searches EP publications, refines its queries and ranks the closest documents with the reason each one matched. The data comes from the EPO's Open Patent Services.
What you can search
- Plain-language description of the invention (AI agent)
- Words in the title, or in the title and abstract
- Applicant and inventor
- CPC and IPC classification
- Publication number
- Publication date range
- AND, OR and NOT between fields
What each record shows
- Abstract, description and claims, where the EPO publishes full text
- CPC and IPC classes
- Applicants and inventors
- Patent family members by country
- Document images
- Links to Espacenet, the European Patent Register and Google Patents
Compared with Espacenet and Google Patents
Espacenet and Google Patents are keyword databases: you write the query and sift the results. PatentAssist search starts from a plain-language description, lets an AI agent write and refine the queries, and ranks the closest EP documents with the reason each matched, alongside US and Indian records in the same search. Legal status stays one click away in the European Patent Register.
| Feature | PatentAssist search | Espacenet | Google Patents |
|---|---|---|---|
| Run by | PatentAssist, using the EPO's Open Patent Services | The EPO | |
| Documents | EP applications and granted European patents; the AI agent can also return CN, JP, WO and US publications | More than 150 million patent documents from around the world | 120M+ publications from 100+ offices; full text from 22 |
| How you search | Describe the invention and an AI agent plans the queries and ranks results with reasons; or use classic field search | Classification search and machine translation | Keyword search, with non-English documents machine-translated |
| Also searches | USPTO and IP India in the same search | Worldwide coverage in one database | Non-patent literature from Google Scholar and Google Books |
| Cost | Free with a weekly search allowance; no account needed to start | Free | Free |
Reading an EP publication number
An EP number is the country code, a seven-digit serial number and a kind code. Paste it into the search box to open the record.
- Published application
- EP 3 456 789 A1
- A1 with the search report; A2 without it.
- Search report published later
- EP 3 456 789 A3
- Follows an A2 publication.
- Granted patent
- EP 3 456 789 B1
- B2: new specification after opposition.
Ready to file? PatentAssist can draft the European application in EPO format, or a German application for the DPMA, with claims, description and patent drawings. For a structured report, see prior art search. Guides: how to file a European patent application, the Unitary Patent and the UPC and how to file a German patent application.
European patent search: questions
Is this an Espacenet alternative?
Yes. Espacenet is the EPO's free keyword and classification database. PatentAssist search is free too, and adds an AI agent: describe the invention and it writes the queries, reads the closest documents and ranks them with the reason each matched. It also searches USPTO and IP India records from the same box.
Which European documents can I search?
European (EP) applications and granted European patents published by the EPO, through its Open Patent Services. Classic search is limited to EP publications. When the AI agent searches, it can also return Chinese, Japanese, WIPO (PCT) and US publications that OPS holds.
Where do I check the legal status of a European patent?
In the European Patent Register, which records the procedural status of each EP application and patent. After grant, the national registers of the states where the patent was validated show whether it is still in force there. Each record here links to the Register.
How many countries can a European patent cover?
The European Patent Organisation has 40 member states since Moldova joined on 1 June 2026. A granted European patent takes effect as a national patent in each state where it is validated (Art. 2(2) EPC), and it can instead have unitary effect in the EU member states taking part in the Unitary Patent (18 for Unitary Patents registered on or after 1 September 2024).
What do A1, A2 and B1 mean on an EP number?
A1 is an application published with the European search report, A2 one published without it, and A3 the search report published later on its own. B1 is the granted patent specification, and B2 a new specification after amendment in opposition.
Does a European patent still cover the United Kingdom?
Yes, it can. The European Patent Organisation is not an EU body, and the UK remains a member state, so European patents still cover it. The Unitary Patent covers only participating EU member states, so in the UK a European patent takes effect as a national patent in the usual way.
Search other offices:
Sources, checked 25 October 2026: EPO: Espacenet, EPO: Moldova becomes the 40th member state, European Patent Convention, EPO: Unitary Patent, Google Patents coverage. General information, not legal advice.