{"name":"Patent77 API","version":"1","description":"Patent77 is an AI prior-art search engine. Describe an invention in plain English and it searches the live patent record the way a professional searcher does — synonym expansion, classification guesses, iterative queries — then reads the closest references and returns a patentability report: every reference cited by publication number, mapped element-by-element against your invention, with an examiner-style novelty and obviousness read and honest confidence flags. Search firms charge $1,000–$3,000 and take two weeks; Patent77 is self-serve and takes minutes. The same engine is a single-key JSON API and a hosted MCP server, so patent-drafting and research agents can run prior-art searches as a native tool.","base":"https://www.patent77.com/api/v1","auth":"Optional for POST /searches, /patents/{pub_number}, /pricing and the index (anonymous = throttled trial; search results truncated to the top 3 references, no element mapping). Send `Authorization: Bearer p77_live_…` (or `x-api-key`) for plan quotas and full references. Reports require a paid (Pro/Scale) key.","format":"JSON, snake_case fields. Every response includes `request_id` and `disclaimer`; errors are `{ error: { code, message } }`.","unit":"Metered by search and by report. A search is one prior-art run; a report is the paid deliverable, with per-report overage beyond the plan allowance.","openapi":"https://www.patent77.com/api/openapi","mcp":"https://www.patent77.com/api/mcp","docs":"https://www.patent77.com/docs/api","developers":"https://www.patent77.com/developers","pricing":"https://www.patent77.com/api/v1/pricing","llms_txt":"https://www.patent77.com/llms.txt","endpoints":[{"method":"GET","path":"/api/v1","summary":"Self-describing index: every endpoint, the MCP server, OpenAPI, pricing and docs URLs in one JSON response.","auth":"optional","paid":false},{"method":"GET","path":"/api/v1/pricing","summary":"Machine-readable pricing - plans, included searches and reports, per-report overage, rate limits and features.","auth":"optional","paid":false},{"method":"POST","path":"/api/v1/searches","summary":"Run an AI prior-art search: plan claim elements + corpus queries from a plain-English description, search the live Google Patents corpus, return scored references with a headline risk. Anonymous calls work but are truncated (top 3 references, no element mapping); an API key gets plan quota and full references.","auth":"optional","paid":false},{"method":"GET","path":"/api/v1/searches","summary":"List the caller's own saved searches, newest first.","auth":"required","paid":false},{"method":"GET","path":"/api/v1/searches/{id}","summary":"Get one search with its full reference list, elements and executed queries.","auth":"required","paid":false},{"method":"POST","path":"/api/v1/reports","summary":"Build a full patentability report over a search: verdict, examiner-style novelty/obviousness narrative, element-by-reference matrix and a limitations section. Pass a prior search_id, or a description to run search + report in one call. Paid plans only (402 upgrade_required otherwise); counts toward the monthly report quota, then billed per report.","auth":"required","paid":true},{"method":"GET","path":"/api/v1/reports/{id}","summary":"Get one patentability report - verdict, narrative, matrix and limitations.","auth":"required","paid":true},{"method":"GET","path":"/api/v1/patents/{pub_number}","summary":"Look up one patent by publication number - title, abstract, assignee, publication date, claims and the canonical source URL. Anonymous allowed, rate-limited.","auth":"optional","paid":false},{"method":"GET","path":"/api/v1/usage","summary":"Current billing-period usage vs quota - searches and reports used, remaining, and the caller's rate limit.","auth":"required","paid":false}],"disclaimer":"Patent77 searches the public patent record and organizes what it finds. It is not legal advice, and no search — automated or professional — can guarantee that all relevant prior art has been found. Every reference links to its source document so you can verify it yourself, and filing decisions should be made with a registered patent attorney or agent."}