Start with the problem, not the patent jargon
WIPO operates several named systems that solve different procedural problems. ePCT helps eligible users prepare, file and manage international applications. The WIPO Digital Access Service, usually called DAS, helps participating offices exchange priority documents. Both systems can be relevant to the same patent project, but neither substitutes for an underlying legal decision about which documents to file or which priority claim to make. This directory is a practical tool-selection guide for users who recognize a WIPO brand but are unsure of the next step.
Choose the guide that matches your situation
- Need help using WIPO ePCT to prepare your patent filing? — Get Help With My ePCT Steps.
- Need to send your first patent filing to another patent office? — Check My Priority Document Transfer.
Research guide: choosing the correct filing decision
Do you need to manage a PCT application or exchange a priority document?
Choose ePCT-related guidance when the user needs help identifying the appropriate electronic PCT transaction, preparing bibliographic information or checking a submission workflow. Choose DAS guidance when the issue is obtaining or making available a certified priority document between participating offices. The two tools involve different account actions, data and office participation. Start by confirming whether the particular receiving or accessing office supports the intended transaction. Do not assume a menu option or interface screenshot stays unchanged indefinitely.
What the official rules actually distinguish
WIPO describes ePCT as an online environment for PCT filing and management, and DAS as an electronic exchange mechanism for priority documents among participating IP offices. DAS ordinarily requires the depositing office to make the document available and the accessing office to retrieve it using the applicable references and authorization. The existence of a DAS code does not itself prove a priority claim was validly made in a later application. Likewise, a submission prepared in ePCT is not a guarantee that all legal and technical requirements have been fulfilled.
A practical decision sequence
Identify the intended transaction before opening an online portal. For ePCT, note the application number if already filed, the relevant office, transaction type, official deadlines and who is authorized to act. For DAS, record the first filing office, application number, document availability, access code where appropriate and receiving office. Confirm office participation and current instructions from WIPO. Record successful system receipts and any warning messages. Never ask users to supply account passwords or authentication codes in an ordinary consultation enquiry.
Compare the possible paths
| Your situation | What to verify before acting |
|---|---|
| PCT preparation or application management | Use the ePCT workflow and applicable receiving-office instructions |
| Electronic priority-document exchange | Check DAS office participation, availability and access steps |
| A priority claim in an application | Confirm the legal claim separately from document-transfer mechanics |
| An online error or rejected transaction | Preserve exact messages, dates and official receipt records |
This comparison is a starting point, not an office-specific determination. Write down the evidence that makes each row relevant to your case and verify the governing rule for the office or territory involved. A similar-sounding issue may belong to another procedure if the application is at a different stage.
Documents that make a review more useful
| Record | Purpose |
|---|---|
| PCT application or draft reference | Identifies the transaction and the correct record |
| Earlier priority application details | Connects the document to the asserted priority |
| Receiving and accessing office names | Determines which electronic workflows are available |
| DAS status, code and receipts | Shows the documented transfer status without sharing secrets publicly |
| Relevant WIPO notice or error text | Enables specific troubleshooting without unsupported assumptions |
An initial enquiry can describe the problem without attaching unpublished technical details. Preserve original files, dates and office correspondence securely. If an imminent statutory period may apply, treat an ordinary email as an enquiry rather than proof that an office has received a filing or that a professional has accepted an instruction.
Limits and mistakes to avoid
A page about a platform should not suggest an official association with WIPO, account access on behalf of the applicant or certification of WIPO services. Software versions and available functions can change. Training or preparatory review must be differentiated from submitting applications and from formal representation, which may require authorization. Users who face urgent procedural deadlines should consult the relevant office’s live guidance instead of relying solely on dated screenshots or third-party tutorials.
Examples of why the facts change the answer
An inventor sees “priority document not retrieved” during a later filing and assumes the PCT application is defective. The issue may concern DAS access or the receiving office’s retrieval process, not the technical claims. A startup uses ePCT to create an application but has not established which first-filed application should support priority. The portal cannot resolve that legal question by itself. A research institution has several applications under different organizational accounts; the first question is who can access and authorize each transaction.
How to prepare a clear next-step brief
Begin with a one-sentence description of the problem. Add the first relevant filing or disclosure date, the country or patent office and the stage of the application. Record the exact question you need answered and list the official notices or dated originals that support it. If there are several alternative routes, state which outcomes matter to you and which destinations are merely being explored. Separate what you know from what requires confirmation. That creates a more useful enquiry than uploading an entire unpublished invention file without context.
For any decision that requires filing, legal opinion or formal office representation, confirm the engagement and the person's authority in the relevant jurisdiction before relying on the work. Information pages can explain possibilities and organize facts; they cannot guarantee that an office will accept a request or grant a right.
What a successful electronic transaction does and does not prove
Online systems create useful technical records, but their confirmation screens answer narrow questions. An ePCT receipt may show that a particular transaction was submitted through a supported channel. It does not alone establish that every priority claim is legally supported or that the technical application is complete. Similarly, WIPO DAS can record the exchange of a priority document between participating offices; that exchange is not identical to complying with every legal requirement for claiming priority in a subsequent filing. Keep the transaction reference separate from the legal analysis.
When preparing a support request, collect the exact system name, office, application number, action attempted, date, notice and error message. Avoid exporting confidential account credentials or sharing authentication codes. A screenshot without the office or transaction type may not allow anyone to determine the cause of an error. Recheck official WIPO instructions because interfaces and participating-office support can change. In the directory, named tools should appear only where they correspond to a distinct user workflow; merely substituting another platform brand into the same advice would not justify a new searchable page.
Common follow-up questions
Are ePCT and WIPO DAS the same system?
No. One supports PCT transactions, the other exchanges priority documents among participating offices.
Does submitting a document through a portal guarantee a patent?
No. Administrative submission and patent examination are separate matters.
Should I email WIPO account credentials to a consultant?
No. Do not disclose passwords, one-time codes or sensitive login secrets in ordinary correspondence.
Official references
More patent guidance
Explore the Patent Help directory, the existing Pct guide and the related topic guide. These references serve different decisions; a general filing overview is not a substitute for a procedural deadline check.
This material provides general patent information and research guidance only. It is not legal advice, does not create an attorney–client relationship, and does not guarantee a filing, grant or other result. Current office requirements and the specific facts of the case must be checked with an appropriately qualified professional.
