In short
The Trademark ID Manual is the USPTO's searchable list of identifications of goods and services that are properly classified. Picking entries from it, rather than typing your own wording into the free-form box, avoids a $200 per class additional fee that the USPTO says is paid when you file.
What the ID Manual is
The USPTO describes the Trademark ID Manual as a searchable list of identifications of goods and services that are properly classified under the current edition of the Nice Classification. (USPTO: Trademark Identification Manual suggestions)
In plain terms, it is a menu of wording the USPTO already accepts, sorted into the right class. Your description of what you sell sets the boundary of your protection, which is why the goods and services description is worth getting right. The classes themselves are laid out in our plain-English guide to all 45 trademark classes.
Why the USPTO wants you to use it
The USPTO says that clear, concise identifications that the public would easily understand are required, and that vague terms such as miscellaneous services can lead to a refusal in an office action. (USPTO: Goods and services)
It also says you can search the ID Manual for pre-approved descriptions and their classification, or draft your own descriptions for an additional fee per class.
The extra fee for typing your own wording
Under the 2025 fee rule, the USPTO charges $200 per class if you provide your own custom descriptions in the free-form text box, or if you copy descriptions from the ID Manual and paste them into that box. The fee is paid to the USPTO when you file. (USPTO: Additional fees for trademark applications)
There is a second charge for length. If your free-form text in a class exceeds 1,000 characters, the USPTO charges $200 for each additional group of 1,000 characters. Once you enter any free-form text in a class, all the characters in that class are counted, including entries you picked from the ID Manual.
Selecting entries directly in Trademark Center is the way to avoid these fees. Check the USPTO's fee page for the current amounts before you file, because fees change.
Fill-in entries, and a way to get them wrong
Many ID Manual entries contain a bracketed fill-in portion, for example downloadable video recordings featuring a subject you specify. When you select one, the brackets become a text box for your detail. (USPTO: Trademark Identification Manual suggestions)
The USPTO says you will also pay the free-form fee per class if you leave a fill-in field empty, insert something unrelated to the selected goods or services, or insert clearly inappropriate information. An examining attorney can determine during examination that you owe it.
If the right wording is not in the manual
You can suggest a new identification by email. The USPTO limits each email to three suggestions of 25 words or less each, says it expects to respond within two business days, and says accepted entries generally appear in the next weekly update. It also says suggestions are not automatically added. Only suggest wording if you intend to file with it. (USPTO: Trademark Identification Manual suggestions)
One practical note from the same page: the USPTO's staff cannot give advice on which identification describes your goods, and they cannot draft one for you. An example it gives of a rejected suggestion is a combined entry like pants, shorts, socks, because the manual already has separate entries for each.
For a worked example in one industry, see trademarking a clothing brand. Not sure what your brand should cover? A free brand audit is a no-pressure place to start. This is general information, not legal advice about your application.
Frequently asked questions
The USPTO describes it as a searchable list of identifications of goods and services that are properly classified under the current edition of the Nice Classification.
No, but the USPTO charges an additional $200 per class if you use the free-form text box instead of selecting entries directly in Trademark Center. It says the fee is meant to encourage use of the ID Manual.
Yes, according to the USPTO. Pasting ID Manual descriptions into the free-form text box still triggers the $200 per class fee.
An ID Manual entry with a bracketed portion where you add your own specific detail. The USPTO says leaving it empty or entering unrelated or clearly inappropriate information can trigger the free-form fee.
You can email the USPTO a suggestion. It limits each email to three suggestions of 25 words or less, and suggestions are not automatically added.
No. The USPTO says its staff cannot advise which identification describes your goods or services or draft one for you.
No. My Trademark Vault is an independent service and is not affiliated with the USPTO. Any government fee is paid to the USPTO.
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This article is general information, not legal advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Trademark outcomes depend on the specific facts of each application.