Google Books Search API finds books by keyword and by author, title, publisher, subject or ISBN, alone or together. Each book has id, title, subtitle, authors, publisher, published_date, description, page_count, print_type, isbn_10, isbn_13, language, categories, average_rating, viewability (full, partial, none or unknown), embeddable, open_access, price, thumbnail_url, cover_url, info_url, preview_url and buy_url. The answer has total_results (an estimate by Google Books), page, limit, has_next and items. Page 2 starts where page 1 ends. Google Books lists about the first 440 results of a search, so narrow broad searches with author, title or subject. free_only=true returns only books that you can read in full.
Not available: Google Books does not offer language, print type (magazines, newspapers), ebooks-only, sort order, ratings count or related books on the data this API uses. The parameters language, print_type, ebooks and sort are rejected with a 422 error, never ignored. A field that Google Books does not show for a book is left out. Prices follow the location of the request, not the location of the caller.
Credits: 1 credit per successful request. Failed requests are not billed.
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Endpoint
Parameters
Start with the required fields, then add optional filters only when your use case needs them.
Runnable path
This endpoint has no required query parameters.
9 optional filters available.
string
Optional
Search text. Send at least one of q, author, title, publisher, subject or isbn. Example: dune.
coffee shops
string
Optional
Words in the title.
example
string
Optional
Publisher name.
example
string
Optional
Subject or category. Example: science fiction.
example
string
Optional
ISBN-10 or ISBN-13, hyphens allowed.
example
boolean
Optional
true returns only books that you can read in full for free.
true
integer
Optional
One-based page number, 1 to 1000 (default 1).
1
integer
Optional
Books per page, 1 to 20 (default 20).
10
Response Schema
Example response fields are illustrative; inspect the JSON before integrating.
Example response fields
Scan these fields before integrating.
data
meta
success
{
"data": {
"page": 1,
"items": [
{
"id": "mztRPgAACAAJ",
"title": "Le Messie de Dune",
"authors": [
"Frank Herbert"
],
"isbn_10": "2724212983",
"isbn_13": "9782724212983",
"info_url": "https://books.google.com/books?id=mztRPgAACAAJ",
"language": "fr",
"subtitle": "(suivi de) Les Enfants de Dune : roman",
"cover_url": "https://books.google.com/books/content?id=mztRPgAACAAJ&printsec=frontcover&img=1&zoom=1",
"categories": [
"Dune (Imaginary place)"
],
"embeddable": false,
"page_count": 668,
"print_type": "book",
"open_access": false,
"preview_url": "https://books.google.com/books?id=mztRPgAACAAJ&printsec=frontcover",
"viewability": "none",
"published_date": "1982"
},
{
"id": "0-D7DwAAQBAJ",
"price": [
{
"type": "list",
"amount": 10.99,
"currency": "EUR"
},
{
"type": "retail",
"amount": 10.99,
"currency": "EUR"
}
],
"title": "Dune - Tome 4 L'Empereur-Dieu de Dune",
"authors": [
"Frank Herbert"
],
"buy_url": "https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=0-D7DwAAQBAJ&rdid=book-0-D7DwAAQBAJ&rdot=1",
"isbn_10": "222112751X",
"isbn_13": "9782221127513",
"info_url": "https://books.google.com/books?id=0-D7DwAAQBAJ",
"language": "fr",
"cover_url": "https://books.google.com/books/content?id=0-D7DwAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&img=1&zoom=1",
"publisher": "Robert Laffont",
"categories": [
"Fiction"
],
"embeddable": true,
"page_count": 515,
"print_type": "book",
"description": "Le quatri\u00e8me tome du chef-d'\u0153uvre absolu de la science-fiction, adapt\u00e9 au cin\u00e9ma par Denis Villeneuve. \u00c9dition du cinquantenaire, traduction revue et corrig\u00e9e.",
"open_access": false,
"preview_url": "https://books.google.com/books?id=0-D7DwAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover",
"viewability": "partial",
"thumbnail_url": "https://books.google.com/books/content?id=0-D7DwAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&img=1&zoom=5",
"published_date": "2020-09-24"
}
],
"limit": 2,
"query": "inauthor:\"frank herbert\" intitle:dune",
"has_next": true,
"total_results": 104
},
"meta": {
"credits": 1,
"billable": true,
"endpoint_family": "search"
},
"success": true
}Errors
Handle these documented responses before retrying or showing customer-facing failures.
Validation Error
A parameter is missing, invalid or not supported. This response is not billable.
{
"errors": {
"language": [
"The language parameter is not supported: Google Books does not offer it on this route."
]
},
"message": "The request validation failed"
}Upstream Unavailable
Google Books could not be reached after several tries. This response is not billable and is retryable.
{
"meta": {
"billable": false,
"retryable": true,
"endpoint_family": "search"
},
"error": {
"code": "UPSTREAM_UNAVAILABLE",
"message": "Google Books could not be reached. Please retry shortly."
},
"success": false
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