DeveloperFeb 25, 202612 min read

Patent Prosecution API for Developers: OpenClaw REST API Guide

Abigail is the only patent AI platform with a public REST API. OpenClaw lets developers and AI agents programmatically look up patents, analyze office actions, and draft responses. Here is how it works.

Why a Patent Prosecution API Matters

Every other patent AI tool is a closed platform. You upload a document to their web interface, get analysis, and export a document. There is no way to integrate the AI analysis into your own tools, workflows, or automation pipelines.

OpenClaw changes that. It exposes Abigail's analysis capabilities as standard REST endpoints. Anything you can do in the web interface, you can do via API. This matters for:

Docketing System Integration

Connect AI analysis to your existing docketing platform. Trigger OA analysis when new actions arrive. Push results back to your case management system.

AI Agent Workflows

Build AI agents that monitor patent portfolios, analyze new OAs automatically, and draft initial responses for attorney review.

Custom Dashboards

Build portfolio analytics dashboards that pull real-time prosecution data from Abigail into your own reporting tools.

Batch Processing

Process multiple Office Actions programmatically. Feed results into document generation pipelines. Automate routine prosecution tasks.

API Endpoint Categories

Category	Endpoints	Auth	Pricing
Patent Lookup	GET /patents/{app_number}	None (free)	Free
Prosecution History	GET /patents/{app_number}/history	None (free)	Free
Examiner Intelligence	GET /examiners/{id}/stats	API key	Token-based
OA Analysis	POST /analyze/office-action	API key	Token-based
Claims Parsing	POST /analyze/claims	API key	Token-based
Response Drafting	POST /draft/response	API key	Token-based
Prior Art Mapping	POST /analyze/prior-art	API key	Token-based

Code Examples

1. Look Up a Patent Application (Free, No Auth)

curl -- Patent Lookup

curl https://api.abigail.app/v1/patents/16123456

# Response:
{
  "application_number": "16123456",
  "title": "System and Method for...",
  "status": "PENDING",
  "examiner": {
    "name": "Smith, John",
    "art_unit": "2612"
  },
  "filing_date": "2024-01-15",
  "office_actions": [
    {
      "id": "oa_abc123",
      "type": "NON_FINAL",
      "date": "2025-06-10",
      "rejections": ["103"]
    }
  ]
}

2. Analyze an Office Action (API Key Required)

python -- OA Analysis

import requests

response = requests.post(
    "https://api.abigail.app/v1/analyze/office-action",
    headers={
        "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY",
        "Content-Type": "application/json"
    },
    json={
        "application_number": "16123456",
        "office_action_id": "oa_abc123"
    }
)

analysis = response.json()
# Returns: rejection classifications, claim mappings,
# examiner intelligence, prior art analysis,
# suggested amendments, and confidence scores

3. Get Examiner Intelligence (API Key Required)

javascript -- Examiner Stats

const res = await fetch(
  "https://api.abigail.app/v1/examiners/12345/stats",
  {
    headers: {
      "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"
    }
  }
);

const examiner = await res.json();
// Returns:
// {
//   "allowance_rate": 0.42,
//   "avg_oas_to_allowance": 2.8,
//   "interview_success_rate": 0.71,
//   "rejection_distribution": {
//     "101": 0.15, "102": 0.05,
//     "103": 0.65, "112": 0.15
//   },
//   "trend": "slightly_stricter"
// }

API vs. Competitors: Feature Comparison

Feature	Abigail (OpenClaw)	All Others
Public REST API
Free patent lookup endpoints
Programmatic OA analysis
AI agent integration
Batch processing
Custom workflow automation
API documentation
Webhook support

No other patent AI tool offers a public REST API. Abigail is the only platform where developers can programmatically access AI patent analysis.

Use Cases

IP Department Automation

Corporate IP departments can build automated workflows: new OA arrives in email, API triggers analysis, results pushed to internal case management system, attorney notified with pre-analyzed response draft.

Law Firm Practice Management

Integrate Abigail analysis into your existing practice management tools. Auto-populate docket entries, calculate deadlines, and surface examiner intelligence alongside case files.

AI Agent Development

Build AI agents that handle routine prosecution tasks: monitor PAIR for new actions, classify urgency, generate initial analysis, and queue for attorney review. The API provides the patent intelligence layer.

Patent Analytics Platforms

Build custom analytics dashboards that aggregate prosecution data across portfolios. Track examiner patterns, rejection trends, and response outcomes programmatically.

Start Building with OpenClaw

Free patent lookup endpoints require no authentication. Full API documentation at docs.abigail.app.

API Documentation