---
title: "PTAB Case Flow"
description: "See how selected PTAB cases progress from petition through institution, termination, and final decision."
---

PTAB Case Flow shows how a selected set of PTAB cases progresses from petition through institution, early or late termination, and final decision. Use it to understand where cases tend to move, stop, or resolve within the PTAB process.

## What it tells you

PTAB Case Flow presents the progression of matching PTAB cases as a flow diagram.

The chart organizes cases into major stages, including:

- **Petition**
- **Early Termination**
- **Institution**
- **Late Termination**
- **Final Decision**

Within those stages, the chart shows the recorded paths and outcomes for the cases that match your search criteria.

## Questions it can answer

- How many matching PTAB cases reached institution?
- How often did cases terminate before or after institution?
- What final outcomes appear most often for the selected cases?
- How does the case flow change for a particular party, firm, case type, or time period?
- Where in the PTAB process do the selected matters most often resolve?

## How to interpret the analysis

PTAB Case Flow shows **how matching PTAB cases move through major procedural stages and outcomes**.

The width of each path represents the relative volume of cases following that route. Counts and percentages shown on the chart help you compare the different paths through the process.

Because the chart follows case progression, percentages should be read in the context of the flow rather than as a general win rate or performance score.

## Filters and defaults

Start by selecting the criteria that define the PTAB cases you want to analyze.

Common filters include:

- case filing date
- parties
- case type
- firms
- case outcome

Use **Add Another Filter** to include other available criteria. After the chart opens, use **Edit Filters** or related filters to refine the analysis.

## Reading the results

Read the chart from left to right, beginning with the petition population and following the branches through termination, institution, and final decision.

The flow makes it easier to see both the dominant paths and less common outcomes in the selected case population.

Use it to compare procedural patterns across different groups of PTAB cases, rather than treating any single branch as a standalone measure of success.

You can also download the chart for use outside Docket Navigator.

## Explore the underlying cases

Use the chart together with the active filters to identify the case population behind a particular flow and continue your research in Docket Navigator.

Review the underlying cases when you need to understand the facts, parties, decisions, or procedural history behind a pattern in the chart.

## Important considerations

PTAB Case Flow summarizes procedural progression and recorded outcomes. It does not measure the quality of a party's arguments or predict how a future PTAB case will resolve.

The shape of the flow depends on the filters you apply, so interpret each result within the context of the selected case population.

:::note
Analytics tools vary by library. See [Analytics Availability](/analytics/availability/) for current availability.
:::