How to use the Prior Art Search agent skill

What the skill makes the agent do

Given a description of an invention, the agent first extracts the core inventive concept, the technical problem it solves, four to six key technical features, and predicted IPC/CPC classification codes. It then runs web searches across Google Patents and Espacenet, and searches academic sources such as Google Scholar and arXiv.

For each candidate it finds, the agent assesses relevance and overlap risk (HIGH, MEDIUM or LOW), then writes a report at patent/PRIOR_ART_REPORT.md. The report includes tables of patent and non-patent references, a landscape section organised by technical approach or classification, a preliminary freedom-to-operate note, and recommendations on claim scope.

Install the skill

You can install the skill in either of two ways. Download the ZIP from the skill page on this site and unzip it into your user skills folder, ~/.claude/skills/, or into a project's .claude/skills/ folder if you want it available only in that project.

Alternatively, in the Claude apps, open Settings, go to Capabilities, and upload the skill under Skills.

• Personal install: unzip into ~/.claude/skills/
• Project install: unzip into the project's .claude/skills/ folder

Trigger the skill with natural requests

The skill activates when you ask for a prior art search or similar patent check. The skill's description lists these trigger phrases: "现有技术检索", "prior art search", "专利检索", "check patents", or a request to find relevant prior art.

Give the agent your invention description directly in the request, or point it to a file. The skill reads from the request if it contains technical details, then from patent/INVENTION_BRIEF.md, then from INVENTION_BRIEF.md at the project root.

• Describe the invention and its technical features in the request, or
• Place the description in patent/INVENTION_BRIEF.md or INVENTION_BRIEF.md at the project root

Example requests

Clear requests name the technical problem and the key features. For example, you might write: "Run a prior art search for my invention: a battery management method that predicts cell degradation using a small neural network on charge-cycle data. Check patents and papers from the last ten years."

You can also ask in Chinese, for example "请做一下现有技术检索" or "专利检索", which matches the skill's trigger list. The skill's instructions say to search in English regardless of jurisdiction, and in Chinese as well for CN inventions.

What you need before you start

The skill expects an agent with web search and web fetch tools (WebSearch and WebFetch), plus Bash, Read, Glob, Grep and Write access as listed in its allowed tools. The optional arXiv and Semantic Scholar helper skills can be used if you have them, and a Semantic Scholar API key is needed only if you use that helper.

The skill also refers to a file, ../shared-references/prior-art-databases.md, which must exist in the repository for the search templates and classification guidance to load.

• Agent with WebSearch, WebFetch, Bash, Read, Glob, Grep and Write
• Optional: arXiv and Semantic Scholar helper skills; Semantic Scholar API key if using that helper
• The file ../shared-references/prior-art-databases.md present in the repository

Safety notes: scripts and network use

This skill does not run scripts. It does use the network, because it issues web searches and fetches patent and paper pages. Review the report and the sources it cites, and be aware that search queries about your invention are sent to the search and database sites the agent visits.

Treat the output as a first-pass list, not a finished search. The skill itself marks uncertain references with [VERIFY] and says a professional freedom-to-operate analysis by a patent attorney is needed before filing.

Tips for better results

Write a specific technical description rather than a one-line idea. The skill extracts search keywords from what you give it, so features, the problem solved and any known classification codes help it search more precisely.

Check every reference before relying on it. The skill's rules say never to fabricate patent numbers or citations, but web-based searching can still miss references or return incomplete pages, so confirm the key ones yourself.

• Give the technical problem and four to six distinguishing features
• Include known assignees or research groups in the area so the agent can search their portfolios
• Review every HIGH-risk reference and every item marked [VERIFY]
• Remember that expired patents and published papers still count as prior art