How To Authenticate Yourself

This guide walks you through the basic steps to start using the Patsnap Open API Platform. By the end, you will know how to obtain your credentials, authenticate requests, and make your first API call.

Step 1: Locate Your API Credentials

Before making any API calls, you need your API credentials, these are obtained once your Account Manager has granted you access (or through a trial).

1. Log in to your Patsnap account on open.patsnap.com .

2. Navigate to the top right, click on your "Account" and then "API Keys".

3. Locate your "API Key" menu point or "Credentials" (For Entreprise users)

4. Locate your API Key or  Client ID & Secret (Entreprise). 

Important:

• Keep your API Key, Secret and Token secure.

• Do not share them publicly.

• Store them safely in your internal systems or environment variables.

These credentials allow your system to securely access Patsnap data. Think of the Client ID as your Username, and the Client Secret as your password, but instead of them being personal to you, they are valid for all users within your organization.

Step 2: Understand the API Structure

The Patsnap API works using standard HTTPS requests.

Each request includes:

• An endpoint URL

• A request method such as GET or POST

• Authentication headers

• Optional query parameters

Responses are returned in multiple formats such as JSON, raw, Curl, Python, Jave and NodeJS format, which are structured data format that most modern systems can easily process.

Example base URL:

https://api.patsnap.com

Specific endpoints depend on the type of data you are requesting, such as patent search, company data, or other datasets available in the Open Platform documentation.

Step 3: Authenticate Your Request

Every API request must include your credentials in the request headers.

Typically, this includes:

• X-API-KEY: Your API Key

• Authorization: Bearer followed by your API Token

Example header format:

X-API-KEY: your_api_key_here
Authorization: Bearer your_api_token_here

Without proper authentication, the API will reject your request.

Step 4: Make Your First API Call

Once you have your credentials and endpoint, you can make your first request.

Example use case: Searching for patents related to AI robotics.

Example request:

GET https://api.patsnap.com/patents/search?query=AI+robotics

Headers:
X-API-KEY: your_api_key_here
Authorization: Bearer your_api_token_here

You can send this request using:

• Postman or another API testing tool

• A script written in Python, JavaScript, or another programming language

• Your internal application

Step 5: Review the Response

If your request is successful, the API will return a JSON response.

Example response structure:

{
"total": 15230,
"results": [
{
"patent_number": "US1234567",
"title": "AI Robotics Invention",
"assignee": "TechCorp Inc.",
"publication_date": "2021-05-10"
}
]
}

The response typically includes:

• The total number of matching results

• A list of records

• Key data fields depending on the endpoint

Your system can then:

• Display the data in a dashboard

• Store it in a database

• Use it in analytics or reporting tools

Step 6: Handle Errors

If something goes wrong, the API will return an error response.

Common reasons include:

• Invalid API Key or Token

• Missing authentication headers

• Incorrect endpoint

• Exceeded rate limits

Always check:

• The HTTP status code

• The error message returned in the response body

This will help you quickly identify and resolve issues.

Best Practices

To ensure reliable integration:

• Store credentials securely using environment variables.

• Implement proper error handling in your application.

• Respect API rate limits.

• Regularly review the Open Platform documentation for updates.

What to Do Next

Once you have successfully made your first call, you can:

• Explore additional endpoints in the Open Platform documentation.

• Integrate API calls into internal dashboards or workflows.

• Automate regular data retrieval.

• Build custom tools powered by Patsnap innovation intelligence data.

If you need assistance with specific endpoints or use cases, contact your Patsnap Account Manager, the Product support team (help@patsnap.com) or refer to other Open API articles found here within the Help Center for detailed technical references.