Claims editing is available on all plans. Editing claims does not cost tokens, though finding new citations during a split does.
Use claims editing when you need to inspect, correct, or reorganize the claim structure of a target patent. This is the right step before charting or claim construction work begins. Properly parsed and structured limitations lead to better charts, so it is worth spending time here to confirm that &AI's automatic parsing captured the claim language accurately.
Common reasons to edit claims include:
A limitation was parsed as a single block but actually contains two or more distinct elements that should be charted separately.
The hierarchy is wrong — a limitation is nested under the wrong parent or at the wrong depth.
Claim-level properties need updating, such as marking claims as asserted, canceled, or independent.
Method claims need to be flagged so limitations are labeled and grouped correctly downstream.
Open the claims editor
Navigate to the target patent. You can reach it from Sources or from the target panel in any case view.
Click Claims in the target patent navigation bar. This opens the read-only claim list showing the automatic parsing.
Read through the claim list first. Look at how limitations are split, how the hierarchy is nested, and whether claim properties like independent or dependent are set correctly.
Click Edit Claims to switch into the tree-based editor.
Understand the tree-based editor
The editor displays every claim and its limitations in a hierarchical tree. Each limitation appears in an auto-sizing text area so you can read and edit the full text without scrolling. Claims display badges indicating their properties: Independent, Dependent, Asserted, Canceled, and Method.
From this view you can restructure the tree, split limitations, change claim properties, and control how citations are handled — all before saving.
Restructure claims
The tree editor gives you several tools for reorganizing limitations:
Add sibling limitation — Insert a new limitation at the same level as the selected one. Use this when a missing element needs its own row in a chart.
Add child limitation — Insert a new limitation nested underneath the selected one. Use this to break a parent limitation into sub-parts without removing the parent text.
Delete a limitation — Remove a limitation from the tree. When you delete, you are asked whether to delete the entire subtree (the limitation and everything nested below it) or flatten the subtree (lift the children up to the parent level so they are preserved).
Indent / outdent — Change a limitation's nesting depth. Indenting moves it one level deeper under the preceding sibling. Outdenting lifts it one level up.
Drag and drop — Reorder limitations within the same parent by dragging them to a new position.
Undo / redo — Step backward or forward through your changes. This works across all edit types, not just restructuring.
Split a limitation
Splitting breaks a long limitation into multiple parts. This is one of the most important editing actions because overly broad limitations make charts harder to fill accurately.
When you split a limitation, you choose a structure mode that controls what happens to the original text.
Replace original (default)
The first split part replaces the source limitation in the tree. The original text disappears entirely and is replaced by the new split parts at the same level. Use this mode when the original text is fully captured by the parts and you do not need to keep it as a container.
Branch under original
The source limitation stays in the tree as an editable parent container. The split parts become child limitations nested underneath it. The source text remains visible and editable. Use this mode when you want to preserve the original language as a heading or summary while adding finer-grained sub-limitations below it.
Handle citations after a split
After splitting a limitation, you choose how to handle any existing chart citations that were attached to the original. This step is important because splitting changes the structure that charts reference. You have four options:
Keep source citations
Only the first new limitation inherits the citations from the original. All other split parts receive no citations. This is the simplest option and works well when the first part of the split covers the same subject matter as the original.
Find new citations
&AI searches for new, relevant citations for each of the split limitations. You can optionally preserve the source citations on the first part in addition to any new ones found. This option costs tokens because &AI performs a citation search for each new limitation.
No citations
The new limitations are created without any citations at all. Choose this when you plan to chart from scratch or when the original citations are no longer relevant after the restructuring.
LLM redistribute
&AI uses AI to redistribute the existing citations from the original limitation across the new split parts. Each citation is placed on the limitation it best matches. You can optionally allow the same citation to appear on more than one limitation if it is relevant to multiple parts. This option costs tokens.
If no charts exist yet for the patent, the citation-finding and redistribution options will display a warning. In that case, the citation handling step has no practical effect until charts are created.
Set claim properties
Select any claim in the tree to set its properties:
Asserted — Mark claims that are being asserted in the case. Asserted claims receive emphasis in charting and are included in claim construction generation.
Independent — Flag claims that stand on their own (as opposed to dependent claims that reference another claim).
Canceled — Mark claims that were canceled during prosecution. Canceled claims are excluded from charting entirely.
Method — Identify method claims. This affects how limitations are labeled and grouped in charts and other downstream views.
Setting these properties correctly before charting saves time later. For example, marking a claim as canceled prevents &AI from generating chart rows for limitations that are no longer in play.
Control the display
The editor includes display options to help you focus on the claims that matter:
Show all claims or show asserted claims only.
Show or hide claim numbers and limitation labels.
Switch between compact and expanded view.
Toggle between structured and compact limitation layout.
Use the asserted-only filter when working on a case with many claims where only a subset is in dispute.
Save your changes
When you are finished editing, click Save to apply all changes. &AI automatically renumbers every limitation based on the updated tree structure, so you do not need to manually adjust numbering.
Before saving, review the following:
Limitation nesting matches your intended hierarchy.
Status flags (asserted, canceled, independent, method) are set on the correct claims.
Citation handling choices for any splits align with your charting plan.
Any drag-and-drop reordering is in the intended final order.
After saving, the updated claim structure is used everywhere the patent appears — in charts, claim construction, and case views.
Common issues
Limitations look wrong after automatic parsing. The automatic parser does its best with patent language, but complex claims sometimes need manual correction. Use split, indent/outdent, and add sibling/child to fix the structure before charting.
Citations disappeared after a split. Check which citation handling option you selected. If you chose "No citations," the new limitations were intentionally created without citations. You can re-run charting or use the find-new-citations option on a future split.
Token usage during splits. Editing and restructuring claims is free. Tokens are only consumed when you choose "Find new citations" or "LLM redistribute" during a split.
Next steps
Viewing and editing a patent document — Learn how to work with the full patent document alongside claims.
Claim construction — Build claim constructions using the structured claims you have edited.
Charts overview — Understand how charts use your claim structure.
Create a chart — Start charting with your corrected claims.