# Open Library ISBN Lookup — Free Book Metadata API (`accountable_eel/openlibrary-isbn-lookup`) Actor

Look up books by ISBN against the Internet Archive's free, open Open Library catalog. Get title, authors, publisher, publish date, page count, subjects, cover image URL, and an excerpt where available. Pay only for ISBNs that resolve to a real book.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/accountable\_eel/openlibrary-isbn-lookup.md
- **Developed by:** [Adrian Voss](https://apify.com/accountable_eel) (community)
- **Categories:** Developer tools, Education
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $2.40 / 1,000 successful lookups

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.
Since this Actor supports Apify Store discounts, the price gets lower the higher subscription plan you have.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

Actors are web data automations that power AI and operations. They run on the Apify platform to scrape websites, process data, connect APIs, and automate workflows.
In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours,
and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store.
In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server.
Actors are written with capital "A".

## How to integrate an Actor?

If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects.
You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready.
The best way to integrate Actors is as follows.

- **AI agents and MCP clients** — the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/integrations/mcp.md) at `https://mcp.apify.com` (remote, streamable HTTP, OAuth on first use).
- **Agentic workflows and local Actor development** — [Agent Skills](https://apify.com/.well-known/agent-skills/index.json) with the [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): `npm install -g apify-cli`, then `apify login`.
- **JavaScript/TypeScript projects** — the official [JS/TS client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md): `npm install apify-client`.
- **Python projects** — the official [Python client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md): `pip install apify-client`.
- **Any other language** — the [REST API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2.md).

For usage examples, see the [API](#api) section below.

For more details, see Apify documentation as [Markdown index](https://docs.apify.com/llms.txt) and [Markdown full-text](https://docs.apify.com/llms-full.txt).

# README

## Open Library ISBN Lookup

Look up any book by ISBN against the Internet Archive's free, open
[Open Library](https://openlibrary.org) catalog — title, subtitle, authors, publishers, publish
date, page count, subjects, a cover image URL, and an excerpt where available. No API key, no
scraping — this hits the official public Open Library API directly.

### Features

- **ISBN → full book record.** Title, subtitle, and every listed author and publisher.
- **Physical & catalog detail.** Publish date, page count, and up to 15 subject tags.
- **Cover & excerpt.** A direct cover image URL and, where Open Library has one, a text excerpt.
- **Pay only for hits.** ISBNs that don't resolve to a catalog record cost nothing — see
  [Pricing](#pricing).
- **Built for bulk.** Feed in thousands of ISBNs; concurrency, keyword filtering, and column
  selection are all configurable.

### How to use Open Library ISBN Lookup — Free Book Metadata API

1. **In the Apify Console.** Open the actor page and click **Start** — the `isbns` field is already pre-filled with a working example. Results land in the run's dataset as soon as each item is found.
2. **Via the API.** Call it directly with a POST request — no Console needed once you have an API token:
   ```bash
   curl "https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/accountable_eel~openlibrary-isbn-lookup/run-sync-get-dataset-items?token=<YOUR_TOKEN>" \
     -X POST \
     -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
     -d '{"isbns":["9780140328721"]}'
   ```
3. **On a schedule.** Save this actor as an Apify **Task** with the input you want, then add a **Schedule** (hourly, daily, weekly) so it runs on its own — no server of your own required.

### Input

```json
{
  "isbns": [
    "9780140328721"
  ]
}
```

One ISBN-10 or ISBN-13 per line (spaces and dashes are fine). Accepted formats: 9780140328721, 0-14-032872-1.

```json
{
  "isbns": ["9780140328721", "0-14-032872-1"],
  "testRun": false,
  "onlyFound": false,
  "maxConcurrency": 5
}
```

`isbns` is a list of ISBN-10 or ISBN-13 numbers — spaces and dashes are fine, they're stripped
automatically. `testRun` limits a run to the first 5 items so you can check your input before
spending on the full list. `onlyFound` hides rows where nothing was found (misses are always
free regardless). Optional `includeKeywords`/`excludeKeywords` filter results by keyword, and
`maxResults` stops the run early once that many results have been found. `columns` lets you pick
which fields to include (all are on by default). `maxConcurrency` (default 5, max 20) caps
parallel requests.

### Output

| query | found | status | title | isbn | subtitle | authors | publishers | publishDate | numberOfPages | subjects | coverUrl | openLibraryUrl | excerpt | scrapedAt |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 9780140328721 | true | OK | Fantastic Mr. Fox | 9780140328721 |  | \["Roald Dahl"] | \["Puffin"] | October 1, 1988 | 96 | \["Animals","Hunger","Open Library Staff Picks","Juvenile fiction","Children's stories, English","Foxes","Fiction","Zorros","Ficción juvenil","Tunnels","Interviews","Farmers","Children's stories","Rats","Welsh Authors"] | https://covers.openlibrary.org/b/id/15152634-L.jpg | http://openlibrary.org/books/OL7353617M/Fantastic\_Mr.\_Fox | Down in the valley there were three farms. | 2026-08-23T21:05:07.226Z |

One row per ISBN, for example:

```json
{
  "query": "9780140328721",
  "found": true,
  "status": "OK",
  "isbn": "9780140328721",
  "title": "Matilda",
  "subtitle": null,
  "authors": ["Roald Dahl"],
  "publishers": ["Puffin Books"],
  "publishDate": "1998",
  "numberOfPages": 240,
  "subjects": ["Fiction", "Children's stories", "Family life"],
  "coverUrl": "https://covers.openlibrary.org/b/id/8231856-L.jpg",
  "openLibraryUrl": "https://openlibrary.org/books/OL21524582M/Matilda",
  "excerpt": null,
  "scrapedAt": "2026-08-21T12:00:00.000Z"
}
```

An ISBN with no matching Open Library record comes back as `"found": false` with
`status: "NOT_FOUND"` (or `"BAD_FORMAT"` if it isn't a valid ISBN-10/13 shape to begin with) and
a plain-English `message` — these rows are never charged.

### Use cases

- **Library/catalog enrichment.** Bulk-fill title, author, and subject metadata for a collection
  known only by ISBN.
- **Bookstore & marketplace listings.** Auto-populate cover image, publisher, and page count for
  book listings.
- **Reading-list building.** Turn a plain ISBN list into a formatted bibliography with authors
  and publish dates.
- **Data cleaning.** Backfill missing book metadata in a dataset that only has ISBNs.
- **Content moderation research.** Pull subject tags to categorize a large set of books by
  theme.

### Pricing

$4 per 1,000 ISBNs, plus a $0.005 start fee. Misses (`found:false`) are never charged.

### Use it from Clay, n8n, Make, or an AI agent

This actor runs synchronously over plain HTTP — call it directly from a script, a workflow tool, or an AI agent, no Apify Console needed once you have an API token.

```bash
curl "https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/accountable_eel~openlibrary-isbn-lookup/run-sync-get-dataset-items?token=<YOUR_TOKEN>" \
  -X POST \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"isbns":["9780140328721"]}'
```

**n8n.** Add an HTTP Request node: Method `POST`, URL `https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/accountable_eel~openlibrary-isbn-lookup/run-sync-get-dataset-items?token=<YOUR_TOKEN>`, Body Content Type `JSON`, JSON Body `{"isbns":["9780140328721"]}` (swap in an expression from an earlier node for a real value).

**Clay.** Add an "HTTP API" column: Method `POST`, URL `https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/accountable_eel~openlibrary-isbn-lookup/run-sync-get-dataset-items?token=<YOUR_TOKEN>`, Body `{"isbns":["{{ISBN}}"]}`, mapping the row's ISBN into the `isbns` array.

**MCP.** In Claude, Cursor, or any MCP client with the Apify MCP server, ask for "Open Library API — ISBN to Book Metadata" — the agent will find and run this actor.

### FAQ

**What counts as "not found"?** An ISBN that isn't in Open Library's catalog comes back as
`NOT_FOUND`. An input that doesn't even match the ISBN-10/13 digit pattern (after stripping
spaces and dashes) is flagged `BAD_FORMAT` before a request is even made — either way, no charge.

**Do I need to format the ISBN a specific way?** No — spaces and dashes (`0-14-032872-1`) are
stripped automatically before the lookup, so both hyphenated and plain digit strings work.

**Does every book have a cover, excerpt, and full subject list?** No — Open Library's coverage
varies by edition. `coverUrl` and `excerpt` are only populated when Open Library has them on
file for that specific ISBN; `subjects` is capped at 15 tags when more are listed.

**Which cover image size do I get?** The actor requests the largest available cover
(`cover.large`, falling back to `cover.medium`) so images are usable for display, not just
thumbnails.

**How fresh is the data?** Live — every run queries Open Library's API directly, not a cached
snapshot.

**What proxy should I use?** Apify Proxy is enabled by default; Open Library's public API is
generally permissive, but residential proxies are available if you see blocks on large runs.

# Actor input Schema

## `isbns` (type: `array`):

One ISBN-10 or ISBN-13 per line (spaces and dashes are fine). Accepted formats: 9780140328721, 0-14-032872-1. You're only charged for the ones we actually find — a miss costs nothing.

## `testRun` (type: `boolean`):

Turn this on to test your input on a small sample before running the full list. Turn it off to process everything.

## `onlyFound` (type: `boolean`):

Only keep rows where something was actually found. Misses are always free, whether or not you show them here.

## `includeKeywords` (type: `array`):

Optional. Only keep results that mention at least one of these words (e.g. a job title, a city, a product name). Leave empty to keep everything.

## `excludeKeywords` (type: `array`):

Optional. Drop any result that mentions one of these words. Leave empty to skip nothing.

## `maxResults` (type: `integer`):

Optional. Stop the run once this many results have been found — useful for a quick, cheap sample. Leave blank for no limit.

## `columns` (type: `array`):

Choose which pieces of information to include in each result row. All are included by default.

## `maxConcurrency` (type: `integer`):

Parallel requests. Keep conservative — this target has no browser fallback, so getting blocked costs more than slow-and-steady.

## `proxyConfiguration` (type: `object`):

Apify Proxy config. Residential recommended for anti-bot-sensitive targets.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "isbns": [
    "9780140328721"
  ],
  "testRun": false,
  "onlyFound": false,
  "includeKeywords": [],
  "excludeKeywords": [],
  "columns": [
    "title",
    "isbn",
    "subtitle",
    "authors",
    "publishers",
    "publishDate",
    "numberOfPages",
    "subjects",
    "coverUrl",
    "openLibraryUrl",
    "excerpt"
  ],
  "maxConcurrency": 5,
  "proxyConfiguration": {
    "useApifyProxy": true
  }
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `results` (type: `string`):

No description

# API

You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup.

## JavaScript example

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

// Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
// Replace the '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "isbns": [
        "9780140328721"
    ],
    "includeKeywords": [],
    "excludeKeywords": []
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("accountable_eel/openlibrary-isbn-lookup").call(input);

// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
    console.dir(item);
});

// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs

```

## Python example

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

# Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
# Replace '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = {
    "isbns": ["9780140328721"],
    "includeKeywords": [],
    "excludeKeywords": [],
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("accountable_eel/openlibrary-isbn-lookup").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "isbns": [
    "9780140328721"
  ],
  "includeKeywords": [],
  "excludeKeywords": []
}' |
apify call accountable_eel/openlibrary-isbn-lookup --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,accountable_eel/openlibrary-isbn-lookup"
        }
    }
}

```

The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations).

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/BC4PeCvbpf3sLePtl/builds/HORJQRrV9D59S9DDE/openapi.json