Getting Started/First Request

Making Your First API Request

Send your first request to the Eureka Open Platform and start building with patent data

Quick Start

This guide will walk you through making your first API request to search patent data. We'll use the query-search-count endpoint, which returns the total number of patents matching your search query.

Before you begin, make sure you have obtained your API Key from the admin dashboard. If you haven't done so, please refer to the Authentication guide.

Example Request

Here's a simple example that searches for patents related to "virtual reality" technology:

Tip: Replace YOUR_API_KEY with your actual API Key before running the request.

Understanding the Request

Let's break down the key components of this request:

query_text

The search query using TACD (Text And Code) syntax. TACD: virtual reality searches for patents containing "virtual reality" in title, abstract, claims, and description fields.

collapse_type

Patent family grouping method. DOCDB groups patents by DOCDB family (same invention across different countries).

collapse_by

Which patent to represent the family. PBD (Publication Date) selects the earliest published patent in each family.

collapse_order

Sorting order within families. LATEST prioritizes the most recent patents when multiple patents exist in a family.

Response Format

A successful request will return a JSON response with the patent count and query metadata:

Response 200 OK
count— Total number of patents matching your query
query_id— Unique identifier for this query (useful for debugging)
execution_time_ms— Query execution time in milliseconds

Common Errors

401

Unauthorized

Your API Key is missing or invalid. Double-check that you're passing the correct key in the Authorization header.

400

Bad Request

The request body is malformed or missing required fields. Verify that your JSON is valid and includes all required parameters.

429

Rate Limit Exceeded

You've exceeded your API rate limit. Wait a moment before retrying, or upgrade your plan for higher limits.

Next Steps

Congratulations! You've successfully made your first API request. Here's what to explore next:

  • Browse the API Reference to discover all available endpoints
  • Learn advanced search syntax in the Query Language guide
  • Try the MCP Server for AI-native integration