API Overview
The GoVeda API gives you programmatic access to the same patent intelligence available in the web app: semantic search, prior art search, patent content retrieval, and novelty report generation. All responses are JSON.
API access requires a Pro subscription. Free accounts cannot create API keys or call any API endpoints.
The interactive API reference (with live request examples and full schema documentation) is at:
https://openapi.goveda.com/api-references
Base URL
All endpoints are served from:
https://openapi.goveda.comAuthentication
Every request must include your API key in the X-API-Key header:
X-API-Key: sk_goveda_your_key_hereKeys have the format sk_goveda_.... You create and manage them in Settings > API Keys.
If the key is missing, invalid, or expired, the API returns 401 Unauthorized.
Available Endpoints
| Method | Endpoint | Description |
|---|---|---|
POST | /api/search | Create a semantic patent search |
POST | /api/search/prior-art | Create a prior art search |
GET | /api/search/{search_id} | Poll search status and retrieve results |
POST | /api/reports | Generate a novelty and patentability report |
GET | /api/reports/{report_id} | Poll report status and retrieve results |
GET | /api/patents/{publication_number}/content | Fetch full content for a single patent |
POST | /api/patents/batch-content | Fetch content for multiple patents in one request |
GET | /api/usage | View your current credit balance and usage |
Search and report endpoints are asynchronous. Submit a request to get an ID, then poll the status endpoint until the result is completed or failed.
Rate Limits
Rate limits apply per API key using a token bucket algorithm, which allows short bursts above the sustained rate.
| Method | Endpoint | Rate Limit |
|---|---|---|
POST | /api/search | 1 request/second |
POST | /api/search/prior-art | 5 requests/minute |
GET | /api/search/{search_id} | 5 requests/second |
POST | /api/reports | 5 requests/minute |
GET | /api/reports/{report_id} | 5 requests/second |
GET | /api/patents/{publication_number}/content | 5 requests/second |
POST | /api/patents/batch-content | 1 request/second |
GET | /api/usage | 1 request/second |
When you exceed a rate limit, the API returns 429 Too Many Requests with a Retry-After header indicating the number of seconds to wait before retrying.
Credits
All API operations consume credits from your account balance. Credits are deducted when a request succeeds. If an operation fails, any reserved credits are returned.
| Operation | Cost |
|---|---|
| Fetch patent content | 1 credit per patent |
| Semantic search (Top 10) | 50 credits |
| Semantic search (Top 100) | 320 credits |
| Semantic search (Top 1000) | 590 credits |
| Prior art search (Top 10) | 690 credits |
| Prior art search (Top 100) | 1,500 credits |
| Prior art search (Top 1000) | 2,850 credits |
| Generate novelty report | 720 credits (fixed) |
Search costs scale with the limit parameter you set. The limit rounds up to the nearest 10 (for limits up to 100) or nearest 100 (for limits above 100). You can check your current balance at any time using the /api/usage endpoint.
Error Responses
All errors use a consistent response structure:
{
"code": "00011",
"message": "Requires authentication.",
"request_id": "ca33188c-e06c-4b6e-aac8-501e215744af",
"detail": "Requires authentication."
}The request_id field uniquely identifies your request. Include it when contacting support about a specific error.