Adding sources brings documents into your project so &AI can process, analyze, and chart them. Sources include target patents, prior art references, products, and context documents like non-patent literature or case filings. Once added, &AI extracts text, claims, figures, and metadata so everything is ready for charting, search, and analysis.

Adding sources is available on all plans and uses tokens.

General source uploads in this workflow can be up to 1GB per file. Workflows that specifically ask for figures or inline images can enforce smaller limits.

Adding a Target Patent

Targets are the patents or applications at the center of your project. Adding a target lets &AI parse its claims, figures, body text, and metadata for downstream analysis.

Open the Files page in your project.
Click Add Target.
Enter one or more patent or application numbers in the input field. You can add several at once.
Click Find Patents.

&AI retrieves each patent, extracts its claims, figures, body text, and metadata, and adds it to your project. Processing uses tokens and may take a few moments depending on document length.

Once a target is added you can:

View claim constructions, the patent family, and prosecution history from the document detail page.
Automatically chart the target against existing references or products through the Charting Matrix.

If you need to add an unpublished application, use the draft patent application option instead. This lets you upload the application documents directly as a PDF.

For more on working with patents after they are added, see Viewing and editing a patent document.

Adding a Reference

References are prior art patents or applications that you want to chart against your targets.

Open the Files page and click Add Reference.
You can either:
1. Enter one or more patent or application numbers.
2. Upload a PDF
Configure citation options before adding:
1. Select claim limitations — choose which claim limitations the reference should be evaluated against.
2. Set max citations — control how many citations &AI generates per limitation.
3. Toggle auto-accept — when enabled, &AI automatically accepts its best citation for each limitation instead of waiting for your review.
Click to add the references.

References are charted against your targets when a charting matrix is triggered. See Create a chart for details on running the charting process.

Adding a Product

Adding products requires the PRO plan and uses tokens. Products are used for infringement analysis, letting you chart product features against patent claims.

Open the Files page and click Add Product.
Enter the product name, seller, and product URL.
Provide product details in one of two ways:
1. Upload a PDF — attach a product document such as a datasheet, manual, or specification.
2. Enter a URL — provide a web address and &AI will fetch the page content automatically.
Click to add the product.

Once processed, the product is available for charting against your targets through the Charting Matrix. For more on working with products, see Viewing and editing a product document.

Adding Clinical Trials

Click to add a clinical trial.
Enter the NCT ID (for example, NCT12345678).

&AI retrieves the clinical trial record from ClinicalTrials.gov and adds it to your project.

Complaint and Case Documents

Adding case documents is available on the CORE plan and uses tokens.

Click to add a case document.
Upload the complaint PDF.

&AI parses the document and automatically extracts case details including the court, judge, parties, and asserted patents.

What Happens After Adding Sources

After you add any source, &AI processes the document automatically:

Text is extracted and split into searchable chunks.
Figures are identified and extracted.
Metadata such as patent numbers, dates, inventors, and parties is parsed.
Processing uses tokens and typically takes a few moments depending on document length.

Once processing is complete, the document appears in the Files page and is available for charting, search, and analysis across your project.

Common Issues

URL fetch fails for NPL or products — some websites block automated access. Upload the document as a PDF instead.
Processing takes longer than expected — larger documents with many figures, pages, or file bytes require more time to hash, upload, and process. Wait for the status to update in the Files page.
Token usage — each document you add consumes tokens. Check your token balance if you are unable to add new sources.

Next Steps

Review your sources in the Files overview.
Create a chart to map references or products against your target claims.
Run a prior art search to find additional references for your project.

Adding sources