# USPTO Patents Scraper (`barefoot_grade/uspto-patents-scraper`) Actor

Search official US patent grants and published applications, enriched with abstracts, inventor names, classifications and optional claims.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/barefoot_grade/uspto-patents-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [Philip Kirkbride](https://apify.com/barefoot_grade) (community)
- **Categories:** Business
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $1.00 / 1,000 patents

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

An Actor is a serverless cloud program that runs on the Apify platform. It has two run modes.
In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours,
and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store.
In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server.

Apify vocabulary and the platform model are defined once, in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md.

## How to integrate an Actor?

If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects.
You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready.

Do not guess an integration path. Every one of them is in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md: the Apify MCP server, Agent Skills with the Apify CLI, the JavaScript and Python clients, the REST API, and the account-free path for an agent with no human to sign in. It also carries the rule on stating cost before the first paid run.

For examples already wired to this Actor's own input schema, see the [API](#api) section below.

Each client library has reference documentation the quickstart does not restate: [JavaScript/TypeScript](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md) (`npm install apify-client`) and [Python](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md) (`pip install apify-client`).

# README

## USPTO Patents Scraper

Search official US patent grants and published applications and export enriched patent records. Each row joins search metadata with its published document for the abstract, inventor names and optional claims text. Use assignee, inventor, CPC and publication-date filters to track technical areas or collect publications for analysis.

Default input returns up to 20 solar-related publications:

```json
{"query":"solar","maxResults":20,"includeClaims":false}
```

`query` accepts Patent Public Search full-text syntax. `assignee` and `inventor` search published names as phrases. `cpcClass` searches current and originally issued CPC symbols, including inventive and additional classifications. Prefixes without a slash include their subgroups. Returned `cpcClasses` are the current symbols, which can differ from an older symbol used to find the patent. `dateFrom` and `dateTo` are inclusive publication dates in YYYY-MM-DD format; for patent grants this is the grant date. `patentNumbers` accepts up to 50 US patent or application publication numbers, optionally including US and a kind code. Filters combine using AND. `maxResults` is 1–100 and defaults to 20. A query of solar is applied only when no search filters are supplied.

Rows contain patent or publication number, kind code, title, abstract, filing/publication/grant dates, assignees, applicants, inventor names, CPC/IPC symbols, claims count and cited-patent count where published, application number, document status and source URL. `includeClaims` adds the published claims text; otherwise `claims` is null. Details are fetched in one separate request per row. The source still sends the full document when retrieving abstracts. Missing counts are null, including citing-patent counts. Assignees and applicants are separate fields. Names are reproduced as published, with no contact or address enrichment.

`status` identifies a granted publication or a published application. It does not establish current legal status, expiry, abandonment or enforceability. Publication rows and grant rows are distinct documents and may describe the same invention. Family collapsing is disabled.

Results are saved as pages are enriched. A blocked request or deadline can leave a partial dataset; the run status names the incomplete query. A run that delivers no rows fails with a plain message, including a confirmed empty search. Large runs may stop early to preserve saved data. Source rate limits are honored. Source URLs identify the official document JSON; opening them requires an anonymous Patent Public Search session.

This actor uses the official public search site anonymously. It does not use the separate ODP service or require an ODP API key. Availability can change with USPTO access requirements.

# Actor input Schema

## `query` (type: `string`):

Patent Public Search query syntax; default solar when no filters are supplied.

## `assignee` (type: `string`):

Published assignee name phrase, combined with other filters using AND.

## `inventor` (type: `string`):

Published inventor name phrase. No contact information is collected.

## `cpcClass` (type: `string`):

CPC symbol such as H01L31/042. Searches current and originally issued inventive/additional CPC indexes; prefixes without a slash include subgroups.

## `dateFrom` (type: `string`):

Inclusive publication date, YYYY-MM-DD; for grants this is the grant date.

## `dateTo` (type: `string`):

Inclusive publication date, YYYY-MM-DD.

## `patentNumbers` (type: `array`):

Up to 50 US patent/publication numbers, optionally with US prefix and kind code. Other filters still apply.

## `maxResults` (type: `integer`):

Maximum delivered publications per run, from 1 to 100; capped for the 300-second budget with rate-limit pacing.

## `includeClaims` (type: `boolean`):

Include published claims text in output. Full documents are fetched for abstracts even when this is false.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "query": "solar",
  "maxResults": 20,
  "includeClaims": false
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `results` (type: `string`):

No description

# API

You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup.

## JavaScript example

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

// Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
// Replace the '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "query": "solar"
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("barefoot_grade/uspto-patents-scraper").call(input);

// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
    console.dir(item);
});

// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs

```

## Python example

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

# Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
# Replace '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = { "query": "solar" }

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("barefoot_grade/uspto-patents-scraper").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "query": "solar"
}' |
apify call barefoot_grade/uspto-patents-scraper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,barefoot_grade/uspto-patents-scraper"
        }
    }
}
```

The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations).

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/c1w1D8iZDqdVyJUyx/builds/uBCxUvxm5ivQJVPz4/openapi.json