# USPTO & Global Patents Extractor (`cynix_dev/uspto-patents`) Actor

Search USPTO and global patents through Google Patents' free public index. Pull structured patent records by keyword, assignee, or inventor — title, abstract snippet, dates, inventors, assignee, and PDF link. No API key needed.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/cynix\_dev/uspto-patents.md
- **Developed by:** [Cynix Dev](https://apify.com/cynix_dev) (community)
- **Categories:** Developer tools, Automation, Other
- **Stats:** 1 total users, 0 monthly users, 0.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $2.25 / 1,000 results

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.
Since this Actor supports Apify Store discounts, the price gets lower the higher subscription plan you have.

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

## What's an Apify Actor?

Actors are web data automations that power AI and operations. They run on the Apify platform to scrape websites, process data, connect APIs, and automate workflows.
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.
Actors are written with capital "A".

## 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.
The best way to integrate Actors is as follows.

- **AI agents and MCP clients** — the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/integrations/mcp.md) at `https://mcp.apify.com` (remote, streamable HTTP, OAuth on first use).
- **Agentic workflows and local Actor development** — [Agent Skills](https://apify.com/.well-known/agent-skills/index.json) with the [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): `npm install -g apify-cli`, then `apify login`.
- **JavaScript/TypeScript projects** — the official [JS/TS client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md): `npm install apify-client`.
- **Python projects** — the official [Python client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md): `pip install apify-client`.
- **Any other language** — the [REST API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2.md).

For usage examples, see the [API](#api) section below.

For more details, see Apify documentation as [Markdown index](https://docs.apify.com/llms.txt) and [Markdown full-text](https://docs.apify.com/llms-full.txt).

# README

## USPTO & Global Patents Extractor

Search **USPTO and global patents** through **Google Patents'** free public index. Pull structured patent records by keyword, assignee or inventor — title, abstract snippet, dates, inventors, assignee and PDF link. No API key needed.

> **Unofficial tool.** This Actor is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by Google LLC / USPTO. It is an independent tool that collects publicly available information.

### What it does

Google Patents aggregates USPTO, EPO, WIPO and national patent offices into one searchable index with a public front end. This Actor queries that index and returns structured records — title, abstract snippet, priority/filing/grant dates, inventors, assignee and a direct PDF link.

Search by free text (`solar cell`), scope with operators (`assignee:"Apple"`, `inventor:"Smith"`), and page through results for a patent-landscape view.

### Features

- **Free-text patent search** — supports Google Patents operators.
- **Assignee and inventor scoping** — `assignee:`, `inventor:` filters.
- **Structured records** — title, abstract snippet, dates, inventors, assignee, PDF link, family size.
- **Direct PDF links** — fetch the full document from Google Patents.
- **Auto-paged** — `maxResults` walks the result pages.
- **No API key required.**

### What people use it for

- Patent landscaping — map who's filing in a technology area.
- Freedom-to-operate research — find blocking patents by assignee.
- Competitive intelligence — track a rival's patent output.
- Inventor tracking — follow a researcher's filings.
- Prior-art discovery for a new application.

### Search operators

Google Patents supports fielded queries that sharpen results:

| Goal | Query |
| --- | --- |
| Everything mentioning a term | `solar cell` |
| By assignee | `assignee:"Apple"` |
| By inventor | `inventor:"Smith"` |
| By classification | `cpc:H02J` (Cooperative Patent Classification) |

#### Dates and family size

- `priorityDate` — when the first application was filed (earliest right). - `filingDate` / `grantDate` — the application and grant events. - `familySize` — how many linked documents share the priority — a proxy for how broadly the invention is protected across jurisdictions.

### Input

`query` is required and accepts Google Patents search operators. `maxResults` caps the pull.

| Field | Type | Default | What it does |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `query` **(required)** | string | — | Free-text patent search. Supports Google Patents operators: 'solar cell', 'assignee:"Apple"', 'inventor:"Smith"', 'title:"wireless charging"'. Covers USPTO and global patent offices. |
| `maxResults` | integer | `25` | Maximum number of patents to return (1-500). The actor pages automatically. Range 1–500. |
| `proxyConfiguration` | object | see below | Google Patents is publicly accessible and usually does not need a proxy. Enable only if you are rate-limited or blocked. |

#### Input example

```json
{
  "query": "solar cell",
  "maxResults": 5,
  "proxyConfiguration": {
    "useApifyProxy": true,
    "apifyProxyGroups": [
      "RESIDENTIAL"
    ]
  }
}
```

### Output

One record per patent: id, URL, title, abstract snippet, publication number, dates, inventors, assignee, PDF link and family size.

Every dataset record contains: `patentId`, `url`, `title`, `snippet`, `publicationNumber`, `priorityDate`, `filingDate`, `grantDate`, `publicationDate`, `inventors`, `assignee`, `pdfUrl`, `familySize`, `fetchedAt`.

#### Output example

A real record from a run of this Actor:

```json
{
  "patentId": "CN113512730B",
  "url": "https://patents.google.com/patent/CN113512730B/en",
  "title": "A floating solar photovoltaic and thermal coupling water electrolysis hydrogen …",
  "snippet": "The invention discloses a floating solar photovoltaic photo-thermal coupling electrolytic water hydrogen production system and a method, wherein the system comprises a floating bracket, a photo-thermal module and a hydro …",
  "publicationNumber": "CN113512730B",
  "priorityDate": "2021-04-08",
  "filingDate": "2021-04-08",
  "grantDate": "2024-05-07",
  "publicationDate": "2024-05-07",
  "inventors": "陈玉彬",
  "assignee": "西安交通大学",
  "pdfUrl": "69/59/d0/3bce0574597902/CN113512730B.pdf",
  "familySize": "",
  "fetchedAt": "2026-08-21T12:59:05.697Z"
}
```

Export the dataset as JSON, CSV, Excel, XML or JSONL from the Console, or pull it programmatically through the Apify API and any of the official clients.

### How to use it

1. Click **Try for free** (or **Start** if you already have an Apify account).
2. Fill in the input fields described above — the defaults already produce a working run.
3. Press **Start** and watch the log; results stream into the dataset as they are found.
4. When the run finishes, open the **Output/Storage** tab and export as JSON, CSV or Excel.

Runs can be scheduled (hourly, daily, weekly) and wired into Slack, Google Sheets, Zapier, Make, webhooks or your own backend through Apify integrations. Everything the Console does is also available over the [Apify API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2).

### Proxy configuration

This Actor accepts a standard Apify **proxy configuration** object. Residential proxy is the default because the target site rate-limits datacenter IP ranges; you can select a specific exit country or supply your own proxy URLs.

```json
{
  "proxyConfiguration": {
    "useApifyProxy": true,
    "apifyProxyGroups": [
      "RESIDENTIAL"
    ]
  }
}
```

### Pricing

This Actor is billed on Apify's **pay-per-event** model: a small charge when a run starts, plus a charge for each result written to the dataset. You only pay for records you actually receive — a run that finds nothing costs only the start event. Current rates are always shown on the **Pricing** tab of this page, and the run log prints your usage as it goes.

Free-plan credits from Apify cover a large amount of light usage, so you can evaluate the Actor before committing to anything.

### FAQ

#### Do I need an API key?

No. Google Patents is publicly accessible; this reads its index.

#### Is this the official USPTO data?

It comes via Google Patents, which aggregates USPTO and other offices. For authoritative legal status, cross-check the patent on the official USPTO or regional office register.

#### Can I get the full patent text?

Each record includes a `pdfUrl` to the full document on Google Patents.

#### Why is the abstract a 'snippet'?

The index returns a snippet; the full specification is in the linked PDF. For bulk full text, fetch the PDFs via the provided links.

#### Is this affiliated with Google or the USPTO?

No. It queries Google Patents' public index and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by Google or the USPTO.

### Other Actors by cynix\_dev

| Actor | What it does |
| --- | --- |
| [arXiv Papers Extractor](https://apify.com/cynix_dev/arxiv-papers) | Search arXiv and extract papers as clean typed records: title, abstract, authors, categories, DOI, and direct PDF links. |
| [CoinGecko Markets — Crypto Data API](https://apify.com/cynix_dev/coingecko-markets) | Live cryptocurrency market data from CoinGecko as clean typed JSON: price, market cap, volume, 24h change, ATH/ATL, … |
| [FX Rates & History](https://apify.com/cynix_dev/fx-rates-history) | Latest and historical foreign exchange rates (ECB reference data) as clean, typed dataset records. |
| [USGS Earthquakes — GeoJSON Extractor](https://apify.com/cynix_dev/usgs-earthquakes) | Pull live and historical earthquakes from the USGS FDSN event service as clean typed JSON: magnitude, place, time, lat/lon/depth, … |
| [Launch Library 2 — Rocket Launch Tracker](https://apify.com/cynix_dev/launch-library-launches) | Upcoming, previous, and specific rocket launches from The Space Devs' Launch Library 2 API. |
| [Open Food Facts Extractor](https://apify.com/cynix_dev/open-food-facts) | Search and extract food-product data from Open Food Facts as clean typed JSON: name, brand, ingredients, allergens, nutrition … |

### Legal and responsible use

This Actor collects only publicly available information. You are responsible for how you use the data, including compliance with the target site's Terms of Service, robots directives, copyright, and data protection law such as GDPR and CCPA. Do not use it to gather personal data without a lawful basis.

### Support and feedback

Found a bug, hit a site change, or need an extra field? Open a ticket on the **Issues** tab of this Actor — issues are read and fixed. Feature requests and custom-scraper enquiries are welcome through the same channel.

# Actor input Schema

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

Free-text patent search. Supports Google Patents operators: 'solar cell', 'assignee:"Apple"', 'inventor:"Smith"', 'title:"wireless charging"'. Covers USPTO and global patent offices.

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

Maximum number of patents to return (1-500). The actor pages automatically.

## `proxyConfiguration` (type: `object`):

Google Patents is publicly accessible and usually does not need a proxy. Enable only if you are rate-limited or blocked.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "maxResults": 25,
  "proxyConfiguration": {
    "useApifyProxy": false
  }
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `patentId` (type: `string`):

Patent/publication identifier, e.g. US8849259B2.

## `url` (type: `string`):

Link to the full patent on Google Patents.

## `title` (type: `string`):

Patent title.

## `snippet` (type: `string`):

Short abstract/excerpt.

## `publicationNumber` (type: `string`):

Official publication number.

## `priorityDate` (type: `string`):

Priority date.

## `filingDate` (type: `string`):

Filing date.

## `grantDate` (type: `string`):

Grant date.

## `inventors` (type: `string`):

Semicolon-separated inventors.

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

Semicolon-separated assignees.

## `pdfUrl` (type: `string`):

Link to the patent PDF.

## `familySize` (type: `string`):

Number of patents in the family.

## `fetchedAt` (type: `string`):

ISO timestamp of retrieval.

# 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 = {};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("cynix_dev/uspto-patents").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 = {}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("cynix_dev/uspto-patents").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 '{}' |
apify call cynix_dev/uspto-patents --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

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

```

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/417TWiEhn2MjbLfQF/builds/uheg6gAsGtsMGafbe/openapi.json