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

    <documentType>4</documentType><periodOfReport>2003-10-07</periodOfReport><notSubjectToSection16>1</notSubjectToSection16>
    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0001060439</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>OVERTURE SERVICES INC</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>OVER</issuerTradingSymbol></issuer><reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001079818</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>GROSS WILLIAM</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>74 NORTH PASADENA AVENUE</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>3RD FLOOR</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>PASADENA</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>CA</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>91103</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
            <reportingOwnerRelationship>
<isDirector>1</isDirector><isOfficer>0</isOfficer><isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner><isOther>0</isOther></reportingOwnerRelationship></reportingOwner><nonDerivativeTable><nonDerivativeTransaction><securityTitle><value>Common Stock</value></securityTitle><transactionDate><value>2003-10-07</value></transactionDate><transactionCoding><transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType><transactionCode>D</transactionCode><equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved></transactionCoding><transactionAmounts><transactionShares><value>3081915</value><footnoteId id="F1"/><footnoteId id="F2"/></transactionShares><transactionPricePerShare><footnoteId id="F2"/></transactionPricePerShare><transactionAcquiredDisposedCode><value>D</value></transactionAcquiredDisposedCode></transactionAmounts><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>0</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>D</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value/></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></nonDerivativeTransaction></nonDerivativeTable><derivativeTable><derivativeTransaction><securityTitle><value>Options to buy Common Stock</value></securityTitle><conversionOrExercisePrice><value>23.43</value></conversionOrExercisePrice><transactionDate><value>2003-10-07</value></transactionDate><transactionCoding><transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType><transactionCode>D</transactionCode><equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved></transactionCoding><transactionAmounts><transactionShares><value>20000</value></transactionShares><transactionPricePerShare><footnoteId id="F3"/></transactionPricePerShare><transactionAcquiredDisposedCode><value>D</value></transactionAcquiredDisposedCode></transactionAmounts><exerciseDate><footnoteId id="F3"/></exerciseDate><expirationDate><value>2008-05-24</value></expirationDate><underlyingSecurity><underlyingSecurityTitle><value>Common Stock</value></underlyingSecurityTitle><underlyingSecurityShares><value>20000</value></underlyingSecurityShares></underlyingSecurity><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>0</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>D</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value/></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></derivativeTransaction><derivativeTransaction><securityTitle><value>Options to buy Common Stock</value></securityTitle><conversionOrExercisePrice><value>23.43</value></conversionOrExercisePrice><transactionDate><value>2003-10-07</value></transactionDate><transactionCoding><transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType><transactionCode>D</transactionCode><equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved></transactionCoding><transactionAmounts><transactionShares><value>30000</value></transactionShares><transactionPricePerShare><footnoteId id="F4"/></transactionPricePerShare><transactionAcquiredDisposedCode><value>D</value></transactionAcquiredDisposedCode></transactionAmounts><exerciseDate><footnoteId id="F4"/></exerciseDate><expirationDate><value>2008-05-24</value></expirationDate><underlyingSecurity><underlyingSecurityTitle><value>Common Stock</value></underlyingSecurityTitle><underlyingSecurityShares><value>30000</value></underlyingSecurityShares></underlyingSecurity><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>0</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>D</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value/></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></derivativeTransaction><derivativeTransaction><securityTitle><value>Options to buy Common Stock</value></securityTitle><conversionOrExercisePrice><value>18.10</value></conversionOrExercisePrice><transactionDate><value>2003-10-07</value></transactionDate><transactionCoding><transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType><transactionCode>D</transactionCode><equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved></transactionCoding><transactionAmounts><transactionShares><value>20000</value></transactionShares><transactionPricePerShare><footnoteId id="F5"/></transactionPricePerShare><transactionAcquiredDisposedCode><value>D</value></transactionAcquiredDisposedCode></transactionAmounts><exerciseDate><footnoteId id="F5"/></exerciseDate><expirationDate><value>2009-05-22</value></expirationDate><underlyingSecurity><underlyingSecurityTitle><value>Common Stock</value></underlyingSecurityTitle><underlyingSecurityShares><value>20000</value></underlyingSecurityShares></underlyingSecurity><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>0</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>D</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value/></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></derivativeTransaction><derivativeTransaction><securityTitle><value>Options to buy Common Stock</value></securityTitle><conversionOrExercisePrice><value>13.94</value></conversionOrExercisePrice><transactionDate><value>2003-10-07</value></transactionDate><transactionCoding><transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType><transactionCode>D</transactionCode><equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved></transactionCoding><transactionAmounts><transactionShares><value>10000</value></transactionShares><transactionPricePerShare><footnoteId id="F6"/></transactionPricePerShare><transactionAcquiredDisposedCode><value>D</value></transactionAcquiredDisposedCode></transactionAmounts><exerciseDate><footnoteId id="F6"/></exerciseDate><expirationDate><value>2010-05-22</value></expirationDate><underlyingSecurity><underlyingSecurityTitle><value>Common Stock</value></underlyingSecurityTitle><underlyingSecurityShares><value>10000</value></underlyingSecurityShares></underlyingSecurity><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>0</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>D</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value/></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></derivativeTransaction></derivativeTable><footnotes><footnote id="F1">Includes 3,079,915 shares held by Idealab, a California corporation.  Mr. Gross is the Chairman of the Board of Directors and CEO of Idealab, and exercises voting and investment power over shares held beneficially by Idealab.  Mr. Gross disclaims beneficial ownership of such shares of Common Stock of Overture to the extent it exceeds his pecuniary interest.</footnote><footnote id="F2">Disposed of pursuant to merger agreement between issuer and Yahoo! in exchange for (i) 1,882,433 shares of Yahoo! common stock having a market value of $38.93 on the effective date of the merger and (ii) $4.75 in cash per share.</footnote><footnote id="F3">This option, which provided for quarterly vesting beginning May 24, 2001, was assumed by Yahoo! in the merger and replaced with an option to purchase 14,732 shares of Yahoo! common stock for approximately $31.81 per share.</footnote><footnote id="F4">This option, which provided for quarterly vesting beginning May 24, 2001, was assumed by Yahoo! in the merger and replaced with an option to purchase 22,099 shares of Yahoo! common stock for approximately $31.81 per share.</footnote><footnote id="F5">This option, which provided for quarterly vesting beginning May 23, 2002, was assumed by Yahoo! in the merger and replaced with an option to purchase 14,732 shares of Yahoo! common stock for approximately $24.58 per share.</footnote><footnote id="F6">This option, which provided for as to 1/3 of the shares on the one year anniversary of the date of grant and quarterly vesting thereafter, was assumed by Yahoo! in the merger and replaced with an option to purchase 7,366 shares of Yahoo! common stock for approximately $18.93 per share.</footnote></footnotes><remarks/><ownerSignature><signatureName>William Gross - Power of Attorney/Todd L. Tappin</signatureName><signatureDate>2003-10-09</signatureDate></ownerSignature></ownershipDocument>

