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ONIX for Books (usually just called ONIX) is an international standard enabling publishers to exchange information about all types and formats of books..
The ONIX specification is developed and maintained by EDItEUR
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, a UK-based not-for profit trade standards body with over 110 members in 25 countries. ONIX development is guided by an International Steering Committee that includes
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diverse representation from its member countries. Both the Canadian English (BookNet Canada) and French (BTLF) language markets are represented.
What is ONIX?
ONIX is a standard format or "language" that publishers need to use when distributing electronic information about books to wholesale, e-tail and retail booksellers, other publishers, and any other supply chain partner involved in the production, review or sale of books.
ONIX is not a database and you don't have to change your database in order to use it.
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It isn't a programming language and it can't "do" anything. It
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exists to describe books and provides two things: Code Lists with their standard international definitions that support clear communication, and a file format for the delivery of book information.
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ONIX Codes can be used to clarify information sent via Excel spreadsheet,
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delimited ASCII (tab or comma, with our without headings),
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fixed width, HTML, Word,
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InDesign, email message or hard copy, but the ONIX file format is the preferred method.
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It
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Take a browse through any of the major online bookstores and you'll notice that some books have cover art, descriptions, review and other information (known as metadata), and others list nothing but the title, author and price. Metadata plays a large role in online book sales (titles with metadata outsell those without, eight to one) so it is in the best interest of both bookstores and publishers to include metadata for as many titles as possible.
Online retail's emergence as a popular new channel for buying books, albeit one that lacks the opportunity to physically pick up and browse a jacket cover, has been a key driver in the creation of ONIX. Books are promoted through written text on a web page. Getting this data about each book from publishers to booksellers proved complicated, especially as major industry retail databases used different format preferences for receiving bibliographic data. A standard format was, therefore, agreed upon as the optimum way for publishers to format and exchange their book information.
The major booksellers and distributors have moved towards this standardized format for bibliographic data, so that wholesalers, retailers and other suppliers can accept information that is transferred electronically in the ONIX format. The fact that publishers can create one file to push to all aspects of the supply chain means their bibliographic data is going to be represented.
The ONIX Message
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's in XML and as a structured system it can support a comprehensive book record with tools for validation and standardized text that give ONIX a distinct advantages over other formats.
The ONIX standard defines both a list of data fields about a publication and how to send that data in an ONIX message. ONIX specifies and defines the data elements so that everyone can be sure they're referring to the same thing. Publishers can use as many or as few of the data elements they wish to record and transmit. These are not just limited to facts and figures and textual description: multimedia files, such as images and audio files are becoming increasingly important as ways of encouraging sales and enriching the record.
The ONIX message is a set of data elements defined by tags written in XML (eXtensible Markup Language).
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The XML definitions provided its schema defines, among other things, how to order the data elements and how the elements are interrelated.
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How Does ONIX Actually Work?
ONIX is a common language of terms and definitions, which describe the data fields needed to express the rich information publishers and retailers require. The standard is released once every few years so supporting code lists are constantly evolving.
It is also a standardized means of electronic delivery that uses recognizable XML tags for each data element. You can choose to use long tags (which are descriptive) or short tags (which aren't). ONIX uses a series of 148 data elements to describe book information. The data elements are simple identifiers enclosed in angle brackets. For example, the tag is used to indicate an ISBN, while identifies the title.
Of the 148 elements, 42 are designated as the kernel - the bare minimum that every publisher should supply about every book, though not all the kernel elements will apply to every book, and many of the non-kernel elements are very desirable to include as well. While it might sound complex, in reality ONIX is a simple format for even small publishers with limited budgets. ONIX-formatted files can be created with something as simple as a basic text editor or Microsoft's free XML Notepad or Simple Text.
The ONIX Document Type Definition (DTD) contains in its entirety over 230 data elements and composite elements, organized into 38 groups. Of these groups, 25 relate to product records, 6 to main series records and 7 to sub-series records.
Creating and Transferring ONIX Files
First, organize your book data into ONIX-specified fields and store it in a database. This can be done by using the BNC Bronze Template. Then, use the BNC ONIX Converter to organize and tag that data, thus creating an ONIX file.
The simplest way to transfer your data is via the Internet by way of an email attachment or FTP (file transfer protocol). First time submissions which contain an imprint or publisher name and new code may also need to be accompanied by an Excel or text file that lists the imprint or publisher's name and corresponding code. This will ensure that the codes are associated with the correct buying channels for purchasing. The retailer or distributor verifies the data and then translates it into the information you see on a web page.
The ONIX standard is now defined by ONIX 3.0 but ONIX 2.1 remains in use
ONIX 2.1 is no longer a supported standard.
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Current North American Metadata is Defined by:
EDItEUR’s complete ONIX documentation:
ONIX for Books specification & most recent codelists release (PDF in .zip)
ONIX for Books specification & most recent codelists release & Best Practice Guide (HTML in .zip RECOMMENDED - includes Specification)
ONIX Code List 65:
For more details on the change, refer to the announcement on the bibliographic standards newsfeed here.
Subject classifications:
Thema Version 1.5 (last updated April 2022)
ONIX 2.1 is No Longer a Supported Standard
Codelist Issue 36 (released January 2017) is the final code list for ONIX version 2.1 and the only one required going forward. Not being supported does not mean it is not used. ONIX 2.1
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can remain in use for however long two companies choose to continue to trade data using that version.
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In North America, ONIX 2.1 continues to be used for
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many physical book metadata transfers, though this is an ever-changing landscape.
Amazon's 3.0 Request
Amazon has requested that all physical book ONIX feeds be submitted in ONIX 3.0 by December 31, 2020. No deadline has been specified for digital ONIX but it is already dominated by ONIX 3.0 and
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the expectation is that it will follow shortly thereafter. This request applies globally to all Amazon divisions. Watch for more announcements from other retailers and companies supplying data.
BookNet Canada has compiled supporting documentation at Transition to ONIX 3.0: Essential Resources for Data Providers as well as a benchmarking / progress calendar for data providers at Transition to ONIX 3.0: Canadian Market Countdown Calendar.
BookNet Canada continues to
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recommend:
All data suppliers continue to support ONIX 2.1 for North American data transfer
If you can support ONIX 3.0 in addition to ONIX 2.1 please do so and ensure trading partners are aware of the option. This will facilitate retailers and other aggregators developing ONIX 3.0 support
No one should switch from ONIX 2.1 to ONIX 3.0
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without first
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notifying their trading partners. We think you'll find that you will still need to support ONIX 2.1
New implementations of ONIX have a hard decision: ONIX 2.1 will not be supported for much longer but it remains the practical choice in our market.
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ONIX 3.0 users should update their code lists for Issue 37 and beyond. ONIX 2.1 users should use code list Issue 36 going forward.
If you need help, contact biblio@booknetcanada.ca.
ONIX 3.0 Revision 3
ONIX 3.0 is the new version on ONIX with better support for Digital Products and capable of a much higher degree of accuracy to support truly international data exchange. There have been a couple of major structural changes since it's inital release in 2009 and any implementer should ensure that they are using ONIX 3.0.3.
In North America actual use of ONIX 3.0 is still limited and most data exchange remains using ONIX 2.1. The time for change has now come though, at the minimum would be to for all publishers and data recipients to familiarize themselves with the changes.
Editeur.org has a number of papers describing the changes as well as an overview document Best Practice Guidelines that explain both what needs to be recorded and why.
Implementation LISTSERV
Join Yahoo Groups ONIX_IMPLEMENT email list
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ONIX makes it easier to sell books
Look at a bestseller at any online retailer. Compare that record to the same book at another online retailer's. You'll find some differences in presentation, one might display more than another but the information will usually match. That information was provided as an ONIX record. Collectively this information is known as the book's metadata. It plays a large role in online book sales (titles with metadata outsell those without, eight to one) so it is in the best interest of both bookstores and publishers to include metadata for as many titles as possible.
All books displayed on-line should be supported by cover art, title, author(s), description and author bio(s). It would be better still if if consumers could see reviews, endorsements, prizes the book or author have won. Better again if it provided citations to, and rankings from, best seller lists as well as a listing of events the author will be speaking at. Behind the display, metadata supports systems providing search indexing as well as who can supply retailers the book, in which territories and at what price. Retailers and libraries even want to be able to promote their local authors and metadata can include the city where the author lives. Metadata goes two ways: When a booking happens, publicists are told, who can add it to the ONIX record to help promote the store and the author.
Book selling and publisher marketing needs evolve continuously. ONIX is a standard that grows with those needs. Audiobooks, ebooks, or print – anything with an ISBN is supported as well as many other products typically sold through, or used by, bookstores.
Tracking and maintaining all that possible information is complex but a basic ONIX record is not. It is a standardized format designed to be updated and sent regularly to confirm the book's currency and availability. The record can grow and be updated as you and your trading partners' needs grow. ONIX as one file that can serve many partners allows you to maximize the benefit of adding support.
FAQ
What is the “Language” composite in ONIX. What is it asking for?
What’s the difference between Related Product and Edition? How do I use them in ONIX?
How do you best represent the names of your publisher and imprint in your metadata?
How do I communicate divestment in ONIX? What are common problems?
Send your questions and comments to biblio@booknetcanada.ca.
BookNet Canada’s ONIX services
BiblioShare
CataList
eNewsletter
BookNet's E-news also carries announcements of major changes to ONIX. Subscribe here.
ONIX for Book Implementation LISTSERV
Implementation questions are routinely discussed on the ONIX_Implement mailing list, and notices of ONIX developments are sent out to the list as well as to national groups. Anyone developing or interested in using ONIX can join:
Please use the mail address: onix@groups.io
Subscribe: onix+subscribe@groups.io
Unsubscribe: onix+unsubscribe@groups.io
To e-mail the group owner: onix+owner@groups.io
Help: onix+help@groups.io
The message archive goes back beyond 2000 and covers a wide range of topics. Correct ONIX usage may be a matter of correctly matching code list definitions but it often depends on a consensus between suppliers and end users. This can vary between markets (each country has its own flavour of ONIX) and this forum is where the consensus begins.
Canadian-specific questions can be sent to biblio@booknetcanada.ca and if necessary will be brought to the attention of the Bibliographic Committee (where Indigo is an active member).
Current ONIX Is Defined By:
Version 2.1 Revision 03 (04 is largely about changes for Japan)
Code Lists Issue 36 (Codelists_Issue_36_Changes.pdf)
BISAC Subject Code list 2015 edition and Regional Themes
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Collected resources on the transition from ONIX 2.1 to 3.0:
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