™️ EPO Patent Application Publications Scraper

Scrape published European patent applications (A1/A2) from the EPO: applicant, title, IPC and publication date. Run it once and you get the current records as a dataset — that is the default. Turn on watch mode and a scheduled run returns only what changed since the last run (see Optional: run it on a schedule).

European patent applications as they publish (A1/A2/A3). A high-volume bulk feed — roughly 3,700 publications a week.

Output is one epo_publication_record row per result; billing is pay-per-event, the value event being one epo publication delta (a $0.02 start fee per run, then $0.002 per epo publication delta plus one $0.10 source check per run that reads the source). Source: data.epo.org.

Who buys this

Buyers usually search for European patent applications or EPO patent applications.

• IP lawyers, paralegals and trademark/patent agents following European patent applications.
• Brand, R&D and competitive-intelligence teams watching EPO patent applications.
• IP-data vendors and researchers building dated publication records.

📊 Sample Output

Real rows from run CHBYwqLUDn5KoG5Hq on build 0.1.19 (2026-09-28), the same input as the Quick start below — every value is as the source published it (emails masked, long text shortened):

publication_id	publication_number	kind_code	kind_meaning	publication_date	delta_slice
EP4808344NWA1	4808344	A1	application published with search report	2026-09-23	application-publication
EP4808345NWA1	4808345	A1	application published with search report	2026-09-23	application-publication
EP4808346NWA1	4808346	A1	application published with search report	2026-09-23	application-publication
EP4808347NWA1	4808347	A1	application published with search report	2026-09-23	application-publication
EP4808348NWA1	4808348	A1	application published with search report	2026-09-23	application-publication
EP4808349NWA1	4808349	A1	application published with search report	2026-09-23	application-publication
EP4808350NWA1	4808350	A1	application published with search report	2026-09-23	application-publication
EP4808351NWA1	4808351	A1	application published with search report	2026-09-23	application-publication

The run finished with the status message: PARTIAL: emitted 10 item(s); ITEM CAP REACHED: max_items (10) kept 10 of 3861 matching publication(s). The rest are not in the baseline. Narrow delta_types or number_prefix, or raise max_items.

✅ What you get

Each row is flat JSON with these fields (from the dataset schema and the sample run; a field the source does not publish for a given row is null):

• record_key (string/null) — e.g. epo:EP4808344NWA1
• publication_id — e.g. EP4808344NWA1
• publication_number — e.g. 4808344
• kind_code — e.g. A1
• kind_meaning — e.g. application published with search report
• series_token — e.g. NW
• publication_date — e.g. 2026-09-23
• delta_slice — e.g. application-publication
• document_url — e.g. https://data.epo.org/publication-server/rest/v1.2/patents/EP4808344NWA1/document
• record_type (string) — e.g. epo_publication_record
• delta_type (string/null) — null in every sample row
• delta_kinds (array/null) — null in every sample row

✅ What you get

✅ What you get

• record_key (string/null) — e.g. epo:EP4804787NWA1
• publication_id — e.g. EP4804787NWA1
• publication_number — e.g. 4804787
• kind_code — e.g. A1
• kind_meaning — e.g. application published with search report
• series_token — e.g. NW
• publication_date — e.g. 2026-09-16
• delta_slice — e.g. application-publication
• document_url — e.g. https://data.epo.org/publication-server/rest/v1.2/patents/EP4804787NWA1/document
• record_type (string) — e.g. epo_publication_record
• delta_type (string/null) — null in every sample row
• delta_kinds (array/null) — null in every sample row

⚙️ Sample inputs

1. Quick start — the Store example (this is what the sample above came from)

{
  "weeks": 1,
  "number_prefix": [],
  "max_items": 10,
  "watch_mode": false,
  "baseline_id": "default"
}

The sample run charged exactly: 1 × $0.02 apify-actor-start + 1 × $0.10 source-check + 0 × $0.002 epo-publication-delta = $0.12 on the Free tier — snapshot preview rows are delivered unbilled; only the source check and the start fee were charged.

2. A smaller, narrowed run

{
  "weeks": 1,
  "number_prefix": [],
  "max_items": 5,
  "watch_mode": false,
  "baseline_id": "default"
}

Caps the run at 5 rows; same billing shape as the sample run above.

3. Optional watch mode (changes only, for a schedule)

{
  "weeks": 1,
  "number_prefix": [],
  "max_items": 10,
  "watch_mode": true,
  "baseline_id": "default"
}

The first run seeds a private baseline and emits zero deltas; every later run emits one row per change, billed at $0.002 each plus the $0.10 source check; billed deltas are capped at 500 per run.

🧾 JSON sample record

One real record from run CHBYwqLUDn5KoG5Hq, exactly as it lands in the dataset (emails masked, long text shortened):

{
  "record_key": "epo:EP4808344NWA1",
  "publication_id": "EP4808344NWA1",
  "publication_number": "4808344",
  "kind_code": "A1",
  "kind_meaning": "application published with search report",
  "series_token": "NW",
  "publication_date": "2026-09-23",
  "delta_slice": "application-publication",
  "document_url": "https://data.epo.org/publication-server/rest/v1.2/patents/EP4808344NWA1/document.html",
  "record_type": "epo_publication_record",
  "schema_version": "1.0",
  "output_mode": "preview",
  "preview_cap": 25,
  "preview_truncated": 0
}

🔧 How it works

Source. The actor reads data.epo.org — endpoints: https://data.epo.org/publication-server/rest/v1.2. Public pages and feeds only; nothing behind a login.

Transport. Plain HTTPS from the Apify platform, no proxy. robots.txt is read first and a disallowed path is never fetched. Every request carries an identified contact User-Agent.

Watch semantics. Snapshot mode (watch_mode: false) returns a preview capped at 25 records. Watch mode keys every record on a source-native id, stores a private baseline in a named key-value store, and on each later run emits one delta row per change (new / changed / removed). A blocked fetch is never diffed, so a source outage cannot show up as a mass removal.

Terminal states. A run ends NORMAL, CAPPED (your cap was reached), PARTIAL (something was withheld and the message says what), GENUINE_EMPTY (the source was read and truly had nothing in scope) or BLOCKED (the source refused or changed shape — the run FAILS loud and bills nothing). A zero-row run is never reported as a silent success.

Charging. Each epo publication delta is charged at the moment it is pushed (epo-publication-delta); a row that fails to charge is not delivered, so the dataset count always equals the charged count. One source-check is charged per run that actually read the source.

🔧 How it works

🔧 How it works

Source

EPO publication server, weekly Bulletin publication lists (public, logged-out)

• https://data.epo.org/publication-server/rest/v1.2/publication-dates

Public, logged-out only — no API key, login, cookie or CAPTCHA. robots.txt on the publication server permits all paths.

The four delta types, and their weekly volumes

value	kind codes	measured per week
application-publication	A1, A2, A3, A4	~3,700
grant-publication	B1	~1,900
amended-specification	B2, B3	~35
correction-publication	A8, A9, B8, B9	~50

The volumes are very uneven and they matter. Selecting application-publication means roughly 3,700 deltas on the first comparison run, and billed deltas are capped at 500 per run — so it takes several runs to drain, each reporting the withholding. If you want a low-volume, high-signal feed, watch amended-specification (a patent narrowed or upheld after opposition) and correction-publication.

Kind selection narrows the baselined record set, not just the reporting, so watching B2 stores 35 records rather than 5,767. Because that changes which records exist, the selection is part of the baseline identity: changing it starts a fresh baseline instead of emitting a corpus-wide phantom delta storm.

Fair use

The EPO publishes a 10 GB / 7 days per-IP limit. This actor reads one weekly list per publication date — about 470 KB each — and the kind code is embedded in the publication id, so no per-publication document is ever fetched. A 52-week backfill is about 24 MB. It never requests document.html, and a test asserts that.

Snapshot mode is a PREVIEW

watch_mode: false returns at most 25 records, hard-capped in code.

Watch semantics

First watch run seeds and emits zero deltas. A publication leaving the window is the window moving — a Bulletin week does not un-publish — and is never reported as a withdrawal. Any publication id that does not parse is counted and reported rather than silently dropped.

Terminal states

NORMAL · SUCCEEDED-0: GENUINE_EMPTY · SUCCEEDED-0 (no change) · PARTIAL · BLOCKED.

One delta type per Actor

This Actor watches application-publication and nothing else. The other delta types in this family are separate Actors, each with its own price and its own baseline — so you pay for the feed you want and no other.

What is not done. No login, no cookie or CAPTCHA bypass, no private or personal-account data, no browser automation.

⏰ Optional: run it on a schedule

A single run returns the current records. If you also want to be told what changed over time, open the actor in Apify Console → Schedules → Create new, add this actor with the watch-mode input above (watch_mode: true) so each run returns only the changes, and pick a cadence:

• Daily — 0 7 * * * (07:00 UTC): catch changes within a day.
• Weekly — 0 7 * * 1: a Monday digest.

The baseline persists in a named key-value store between runs, so every scheduled run compares against the last one; use a different baseline_id for independent watches. Schedules can also POST results to a webhook (Console → Integrations).

💰 Pricing example

Event	Free	Bronze	Silver	Gold
Actor Start (apify-actor-start)	$0.02	$0.02	$0.02	$0.02
Source check (source-check)	$0.10	$0.09	$0.08	$0.067
EPO Publication Delta (epo-publication-delta)	$0.002	$0.0018	$0.0016	$0.0013

Worked at the live Free-tier price (watch mode, one delta per change):

• 8 epo publication deltas: $0.02 start + $0.10 source check + 8 × $0.002 = $0.136
• 25 epo publication deltas: $0.02 start + $0.10 source check + 25 × $0.002 = $0.17
• 4000 epo publication deltas: $0.02 start + $0.10 source check + 4000 × $0.002 = $8.12

A run that delivers zero rows charges the $0.02 start fee plus the $0.10 source check (the source was read and reported empty). A BLOCKED run (source refused) fails loud and charges no value event. The start fee is charged once per GB of run memory; the default run memory is 1024 MB.

Yield on the sample run: PARTIAL: emitted 10 item(s); ITEM CAP REACHED: max_items (10) kept 10 of 3861 matching publication(s). The rest are not in the baseline. Narrow delta_types or number_prefix, or raise max_items.. max_items is a hard ceiling on what is delivered and billed, never a target. Snapshot output is capped at 25 records regardless of the cap you set; watch mode is the full feed.

⚖️ Legal & ToS

This actor reads public, logged-out pages and feeds published by data.epo.org. It collects only what the source publishes to any visitor, keeps to the source's robots rules (checked on every run), identifies itself with a contact User-Agent, and does not access accounts, private data or anything behind authentication. Use the output in line with the source's terms and your local law; the intended use is B2B research and monitoring.

❓ FAQ

Q: Do I need an API key or a login?
A: No. The source (data.epo.org) is read logged-out; the input schema has no key field and the actor carries no secrets.

Q: Why did my run return 0 rows?
A: Read the run's status message. GENUINE_EMPTY means the source was read and had nothing in scope for your input (in watch mode the first run always seeds the baseline and returns zero deltas); BLOCKED means the source refused and the run failed without billing a value event — retry later or narrow the input. A zero-row run bills the start fee plus one source check.

Q: How many rows can one run return?
A: Up to max_items (default 4000); snapshot previews stop at 25. Raise the cap for a bigger run; you pay per delivered row.

Q: What does watch mode remember between runs?
A: A private baseline of source-native record ids in a named key-value store (baseline_id names it, so several independent watches can coexist). Each later run diffs the live source against it and emits only changes.

Q: How fresh is the data?
A: Every run reads the source live at run time; nothing is cached between runs except the watch baseline. Put it on a schedule for a continuous feed.

Q: What formats can I export?
A: The dataset downloads as JSON, CSV, Excel, XML or RSS from the run's Dataset tab or the Apify API, and any run can push to a webhook or integration.

Q: How is this different from the other IP and trademark scrapers actors?
A: Same output shape and billing model; this one covers data.epo.org. The siblings under Related Actors cover the other sources or slices — run several on one schedule for a combined feed.

🆘 Troubleshooting

• Run FAILED with BLOCKED → the source refused the request or changed its page shape → nothing was billed beyond the start fee; retry after a while, and if it persists open an Issue with the run id.
• Status says CAPPED → your cap (max_items) was reached → raise it for a bigger run.
• Input validation error on start → a field is outside the schema's allowed values → start from the Quick start block and change one field at a time.
• Run TIMED-OUT → a very wide request on a slow day → raise the run timeout in Run options or narrow the input; what was delivered before the timeout is still in the dataset.
• First watch run shows no deltas → expected: it seeds the baseline; changes appear from the second run.

🔗 Related Actors

• Canada CIPO Trademark Decisions Scraper — Scrape Canadian CIPO trademark opposition and section 45 decisions: mark, parties, outcome and decision date. Every run returns the current records a…
• CIPO Trademarks Journal Scraper — Scrape the Canadian Trademarks Journal: advertised marks, applicants, goods and services, and status changes. Every run returns the current records a…
• EPO Amended Patent Specifications Scraper — Scrape amended European patent specifications (B2/B3) from the EPO: patent, applicant, IPC and publication date. Every run returns the current record…
• EPO Patent Corrections Scraper — Scrape European patent correction publications (A8/A9/B8/B9) from the EPO: patent, applicant and correction date. Every run returns the current recor…
• EPO Granted Patents Scraper — Scrape granted European patents (B1) from the EPO: proprietor, title, IPC and grant publication date. Every run returns the current records as a data…
• EPO European Patent Bulletin Scraper — Scrape the European Patent Bulletin: all publication kinds, applicant, title, IPC and publication date. Every run returns the current records as a da…
• 🏢 About NexGen Watch — NexGen Watch is a catalog of more than 300 public data actors built on official sources, pay-per-result. Browse the catalog at apify.com/nexgenwatch.

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