<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>
    <schemaVersion>X0201</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType><periodOfReport>2003-10-22</periodOfReport>
    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0001011344</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>PACKETEER INC</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>PKTR</issuerTradingSymbol></issuer><reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001106035</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>ELLIOTT CRAIG W</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>C/O PACKETEER, INC.</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>10201 N. DE ANZA BLVD</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>CUPERTINO</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>CA</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>95014</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
            <reportingOwnerRelationship>
<isDirector>1</isDirector><isOfficer>0</isOfficer><isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner><isOther>0</isOther></reportingOwnerRelationship></reportingOwner><nonDerivativeTable><nonDerivativeTransaction><securityTitle><value>PKTR Common Stock</value></securityTitle><transactionDate><value>2003-10-22</value></transactionDate><transactionCoding><transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType><transactionCode>G</transactionCode><equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved></transactionCoding><transactionAmounts><transactionShares><value>600</value></transactionShares><transactionPricePerShare><footnoteId id="F1"/></transactionPricePerShare><transactionAcquiredDisposedCode><value>D</value></transactionAcquiredDisposedCode></transactionAmounts><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>150300</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>D</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value/></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></nonDerivativeTransaction></nonDerivativeTable><derivativeTable><derivativeHolding><securityTitle><value>Employee Stock Option (Right to Buy)</value></securityTitle><conversionOrExercisePrice><value>48.063</value></conversionOrExercisePrice><exerciseDate><value>2001-01-26</value><footnoteId id="F2"/></exerciseDate><expirationDate><value>2010-01-26</value></expirationDate><underlyingSecurity><underlyingSecurityTitle><value>PKTR Common Stock</value></underlyingSecurityTitle><underlyingSecurityShares><value>100000</value></underlyingSecurityShares></underlyingSecurity><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>100000</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>D</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value/></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></derivativeHolding><derivativeHolding><securityTitle><value>Employee Stock Option (Right to Buy)</value></securityTitle><conversionOrExercisePrice><value>16.875</value></conversionOrExercisePrice><exerciseDate><value>2002-01-29</value><footnoteId id="F2"/></exerciseDate><expirationDate><value>2011-01-29</value></expirationDate><underlyingSecurity><underlyingSecurityTitle><value>PKTR Common Stock</value></underlyingSecurityTitle><underlyingSecurityShares><value>100000</value></underlyingSecurityShares></underlyingSecurity><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>100000</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>D</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value/></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></derivativeHolding><derivativeHolding><securityTitle><value>Employee Stock Option (Right to Buy)</value></securityTitle><conversionOrExercisePrice><value>4.71</value></conversionOrExercisePrice><exerciseDate><value>2002-10-22</value><footnoteId id="F2"/></exerciseDate><expirationDate><value>2011-10-22</value></expirationDate><underlyingSecurity><underlyingSecurityTitle><value>PKTR Common Stock</value></underlyingSecurityTitle><underlyingSecurityShares><value>200000</value></underlyingSecurityShares></underlyingSecurity><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>200000</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>D</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value/></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></derivativeHolding><derivativeHolding><securityTitle><value>Stock Option (Right to Buy)</value></securityTitle><conversionOrExercisePrice><value>14.67</value></conversionOrExercisePrice><exerciseDate><value>2003-05-21</value><footnoteId id="F3"/></exerciseDate><expirationDate><value>2013-05-21</value></expirationDate><underlyingSecurity><underlyingSecurityTitle><value>PKTR Common Stock</value></underlyingSecurityTitle><underlyingSecurityShares><value>15000</value></underlyingSecurityShares></underlyingSecurity><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>15000</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>D</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value/></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></derivativeHolding></derivativeTable><footnotes><footnote id="F1">Bona fide gift</footnote><footnote id="F2">The option is exercisable as follows: (i) 25% of the option shares upon completion of one year of service from the grant date; and (ii) 1/48 of the option shares upon completion of each additional month of service.</footnote><footnote id="F3">The option is exercisable immediately but vests in a series of two (2) successive equal annual installments upon the optionee's completion of each twelve months of Board service over a two-year period.</footnote></footnotes><remarks/><ownerSignature><signatureName>Terrie Leivers, Attorney-in-fact</signatureName><signatureDate>2003-10-22</signatureDate></ownerSignature></ownershipDocument>

