USPTO APIConnect USPTO without building on its API
USPTO has a REST API. Free and self-serve for anyone with an Open Data Portal API key, which requires signing in with a USPTO.gov account that has MFA (from June 18, 2026); keys unused for 90 days are deleted. If you're reading the docs because you need USPTO to talk to the rest of your stack, Caddi does that without you writing or maintaining integration code: you show it the job once, and it runs it across USPTO and your other tools.
- APIREST (JSON)
- AuthAPI key
- AccessSelf-serve
What the USPTO API gives you
- Type
- REST (JSON)
- Authentication
- API key (X-API-KEY header)
- Who can get access
- Free and self-serve for anyone with an Open Data Portal API key, which requires signing in with a USPTO.gov account that has MFA (from June 18, 2026); keys unused for 90 days are deleted.
- What it covers
- Patent File Wrapper data: application search, documents, continuity, assignments, patent term adjustment, plus bulk datasets.
- Limits
- 60 requests per minute per API key (4 per minute for PDF/ZIP downloads), plus a weekly download quota that returns HTTP 429 when exceeded.
Official docs: data.uspto.gov. Checked September 2026. Vendors change access terms, so confirm with USPTO before you build.
Building on the USPTO API vs. having Caddi run it
| The job | Build it on the API | With Caddi |
|---|---|---|
| Getting access | Register an app, get USPTO credentials, and manage tokens and refreshes. | Connect your USPTO account once. Caddi holds the connection. |
| Writing the integration | A developer maps fields, handles pagination, retries and rate limits, and writes the sync. | You show Caddi the USPTO task the way you'd train a new hire. It writes verified code for it. |
| Steps the API doesn't cover | Screens with no endpoint stay manual, or need a separate RPA tool. | Caddi uses a secure, audited browser session where there's no API, in the same automation. |
| The other systems in the loop | Each extra tool is another API, another set of credentials, another integration to own. | One automation runs across all the tools the job touches. |
| Keeping it running | Someone owns the code when the API version, fields or your process change. | Every automation is reviewed before it runs in production, and every run is logged. |
Building on the API is the right call when you have engineers and the integration is your product. When the goal is getting USPTO work off someone's desk, the build is the slow part.
What teams usually want the USPTO API for
Pull filing status
Caddi queries the USPTO Patent Center for filing status and emails an update to the attorney.
Upload filings to DMS
Caddi downloads filing documents from USPTO and uploads them to the matter workspace.
Docket patent data
Caddi pulls patent and maintenance fee data from USPTO and syncs it into the docketing record.
USPTO API questions
Does USPTO have an API?
Yes. USPTO has a REST API, authenticated with API key (X-API-KEY header). The official documentation is at https://data.uspto.gov/apis/getting-started.
How do I get access to the USPTO API?
Free and self-serve for anyone with an Open Data Portal API key, which requires signing in with a USPTO.gov account that has MFA (from June 18, 2026); keys unused for 90 days are deleted.
Does the USPTO API have rate limits?
60 requests per minute per API key (4 per minute for PDF/ZIP downloads), plus a weekly download quota that returns HTTP 429 when exceeded.
Can I connect USPTO to my other tools without writing code against its API?
Yes. With Caddi you show the USPTO task once, the way you'd train a new hire, and Caddi builds it as verified code that runs across USPTO and the other tools the job touches. Where a step has no API, Caddi uses a secure, audited browser session in the same automation.
Do I need a developer to automate USPTO with Caddi?
No. There is no integration code for you to write or maintain. Every automation Caddi builds for USPTO is reviewed before it runs in production, and every run is logged.
Connect USPTO without the build.
Drop your work email and pick a time. We'll show you Caddi running your USPTO workflow end to end.