Developer Finds Undocumented Google Patents Endpoint That Needs No API Key
A developer seeking to track competitor patent filings discovered an undocumented XHR endpoint on Google Patents after official sources like the USPTO portal and PatentsView either required API keys or were inaccessible. The endpoint, accessible via a simple HTTP request to patents.google.com, returns structured JSON data including patent titles, assignees, inventors, and publication dates without any authentication. The developer identified several quirks, including a roughly two-month indexing lag, unreliable server-side date filters, and unsorted results within the newest-first view, all of which require client-side workarounds. To handle these issues reliably, a 90-day lookback window and client-side date filtering are recommended over the endpoint's built-in query parameters. The developer packaged the solution as a scheduled automation tool, enabling users to monitor patent activity by keyword or company for competitive research purposes.
This is an AI-generated summary. ShortSingh links to the original source for the complete article.
Discussion (0)
Log in to join the discussion and vote.
Log in