How should a patent abstract be formatted?

This page is an FAQ based on guidance from the Manual of Patent Examining Procedure. It is provided as guidance, with links to the ground truth sources. This is information only: it is not legal advice.

The formatting requirements for a patent abstract are:

• It should be in narrative form
• Generally limited to a single paragraph
• Preferably 50 to 150 words in length
• Should not exceed 15 lines of text
• Avoid legal phraseology often used in patent claims (e.g., ‘means’ and ‘said’)
• Use clear and concise language
• Avoid phrases like ‘This disclosure concerns,’ ‘The disclosure defined by this invention,’ or ‘This disclosure describes’

The MPEP states: The abstract should be in narrative form and generally limited to a single paragraph preferably within the range of 50 to 150 words in length. The abstract should not exceed 15 lines of text.