aid: uspto-gov
name: USPTO API Rate Limits
specVersion: '0.1'
description: |
  Rate-limit policy for USPTO Open Data Portal (ODP) and Trademark Status & Document Retrieval
  (TSDR) APIs. ODP and TSDR use separate API keys.
sources:
- url: https://data.uspto.gov/apis/getting-started
- url: https://developer.uspto.gov/files/tsdr-api-key-manager-user-guide
policies:
- id: tsdr-status
  scope: TSDR Status Endpoints
  limit:
    requests: 60
    window: 1m
    per: api-key
  description: TSDR status endpoints (info.xml, info.json, info.st96.xml) are limited to 60 requests
    per minute per API key.
- id: tsdr-downloads
  scope: TSDR Document Downloads
  limit:
    requests: 4
    window: 1m
    per: api-key
  description: TSDR document downloads (PDF bundles, ZIP bundles, mark images) are limited to 4
    requests per minute per API key.
- id: odp-general
  scope: ODP Patent / PTAB / Office Action / Bulk APIs
  limit:
    notes: |
      Per-key rate limits are enforced; specific RPS/RPM values are published in the ODP Getting
      Started guide and may vary by tier. Repeated 429 responses indicate the limit has been hit.
      Bulk file downloads may have separate concurrency caps.
auth:
- type: api-key
  header: X-API-KEY
  registrationUrl: https://data.uspto.gov/apis/getting-started
- type: api-key
  header: USPTO-API-KEY
  applicability: TSDR only
  registrationUrl: https://developer.uspto.gov/files/tsdr-api-key-manager-user-guide
contact:
  email: APIhelp@uspto.gov