Book Metadata Checker

Book metadata is the data that follows your title through the supply chain: the ISBN, title, contributors, description, subject classifications, format, price, publication date, and territorial rights. Missing, malformed, or misplaced data can cause rejection, delayed updates, or incorrect product information.

A book metadata checker examines the file you send to trading partners and identifies fields that break structural or quality rules before delivery.

What metadata validation covers

• Structure. For ONIX for Books files — the industry standard for book metadata — every element must appear in the order the official schema defines. Structural errors can block a record or an entire feed.
• Identifiers. Each product needs a suitable identifier. Assigned ISBNs must be correctly formatted and pass check-digit verification. Duplicate record references make updates ambiguous and can be rejected or misapplied.
• Core descriptive data. Titles, contributor names and roles, descriptions, and subject codes support accurate display and discovery.
• Commercial terms. Prices need currencies, dates need valid formats, and supply details must meet the requirements of each intended channel.
• Code-list conformance. ONIX fields draw from EDItEUR code lists; invalid or obsolete values may be rejected or misinterpreted.

Checking ONIX metadata files

Most publishers exchange metadata as ONIX XML. Our free validator checks ONIX 2.1, 3.0, and 3.1 files against the EDItEUR schemas bundled with onixcheck, groups related findings, identifies affected records when possible, and provides practical repair steps. No account is required.