Use NPL search when the best evidence may live outside the patent system. This workflow is for papers, publications, technical literature, and other non-patent sources that may map to the target patent's claim limitations.
This workflow is available on PRO plans. Running searches costs tokens.
NPL search now runs inside a Search Agent thread.
Open the NPL workflow
Start on the project's Search page and click New search.
Choose the target patent you want to search against and optionally add a title for the thread. Once the thread opens, tell Search Agent that you want non-patent literature.
Ask for the literature that fits the problem
A strong NPL prompt usually includes:
the concepts, claim limitations, or figures that matter most
any date boundary that should limit the evidence
terms, terminology variants, or technical framing that should guide discovery
whether you want papers, publications, manuals, standards, or other technical sources
Use follow-up prompts to push the search toward a narrower concept, a different terminology set, or a more specific source pattern.
Review NPL finalists
As Search Agent produces finalists, review whether the source looks relevant, whether it is accessible enough to use, and whether it is strong enough to add into the project.
Approve the finalists you want to keep and reject the ones you do not want to use.
Add approved NPL results into the project
When you are ready, use + Add Selected.
Approved NPL finalists are added as project documents so you can continue into document review, processing, and charting.
After the search
From here, keep refining the same thread, add the strongest NPL sources into the project, or continue into downstream review and charting.