What requirements must my website screenshot meet to be accepted as a trademark specimen?

To be accepted as a trademark specimen, website screenshots must meet the following:

General requirements for website screenshots:

• The specimen must be legible.
• The specimen must capture a real webpage the examiner can access; it can't be a mockup or a digitally altered image.
• The mark in the specimen cannot differ from the mark filed in the original trademark application.
• You have to provide the URL and the date the specimen was taken. You can either fill this information in the form or capture it in the screenshot itself.

Website screenshots as specimens for goods:

• The specimen must include a picture or a sufficient textual description of the goods. In other words, from the specimen, it has to be clear what products you offer, and these have to match the information provided in your trademark application.
• The specimen must show the mark clearly associated with these goods. Specimens often get refused if the mark seems to be labelling the website rather than the products.
• The website has to function as a point of sale, meaning it has to include means of ordering the product (such as a button "Add to cart").
• The screenshot has to show that the goods can be purchased by US customers (in practice, it's enough to show the price in USD).

Website screenshots as specimens for services:

• Similar to goods, the specimen must include a clear reference to the services.
• The specimen must show the mark in association with these services.

Website screenshots as specimens for online retail in particular:

• Although online retail is a service, screenshots for online retail also have to show means of ordering ("Shop now", "Add to cart", etc.).
• The screenshot also has to show that the goods can be purchased by US customers (such as showing the price in USD).
• From the specimen, it has to be clear the mark is associated with the online store and the goods (think of Amazon).

Website screenshots as specimens for downloadable software in particular:

• The screenshot has to include a "Download", "Get" or "Instal" type of button.

Website screenshots as specimens for Software as a Service (SaaS) in particular:

• The screenshot has to include a "Login" type of button.
• The specimen must identify the service and not its providers.

You can find examples of acceptable and unacceptable specimens for your niche in our Specimen guide.