TitlePage data services let you use trusted Australian and New Zealand book data inside your own systems. This includes Point of Sale (POS) software, ecommerce websites, internal tools, and reporting workflows.
There are three ways to get TitlePage data out of the platform: live connections (APIs, also known as web services), scheduled data files (feeds), and files you download yourself. Many businesses use a combination.
Who this is for
This article is primarily for booksellers and retailers who want to:
- Use TitlePage data beyond the platform.
- Understand what's possible before talking to their POS provider or developer.
- Make informed decisions about APIs, data feeds, or a mix of both.
Other TitlePage users, such as libraries or literary festivals, may also have potential uses for TitlePage data in their own systems or websites.
You do not need technical knowledge to use or request TitlePage data services, but implementing your use cases may require technical support or development.
What problems do TitlePage data services solve?
TitlePage data services help you:
- Keep price and availability information up to date.
- Reduce manual lookups and data entry.
- Use consistent, industry-standard bibliographic data.
- Improve service outside standard business hours.
In practical terms this means staff and customers using your systems see accurate, current information, sourced from publishers and distributors through TitlePage.
Common ways booksellers use TitlePage data services
- POS integration: automatic price and availability lookups when selling or ordering stock.
- Ecommerce and websites: displaying availability or status information, alongside rich marketing material and product information.
- Stock and ordering workflows: supporting special orders and supply checks with up-to-date data.
If you use a book industry POS system, some of this functionality may already be available. See Point of Sale integration.
Which option suits you?
You don't need to understand the technical detail, but it helps to know what each option is best suited to.
- APIs, or live access. Best when you need live or near-real-time information, individual title lookups, or data retrieved on demand, for example at the point of sale. POS systems commonly use APIs to populate new products or retrieve current price and availability as staff search or sell books.
- Data feeds, or scheduled files. Best when you need large volumes of data, regular updates on a schedule such as daily or weekly, or bulk processing and background imports. Feeds are often used to load or refresh datasets in POS systems, websites, or internal tools.
- Downloads you collect yourself. Best when you need occasional files with no development work at all. Ready-made ONIX files are available from the Downloads page in TitlePage. See TitlePage Downloads Page.
A common setup is feeds to load or refresh large datasets, and APIs to keep information current between updates. TitlePage can help discuss the most appropriate mix for your needs.
Available data feeds
Data feeds are available by arrangement and may involve fees to cover infrastructure and delivery costs. See TitlePage Feed & Files, or contact the TitlePage team to discuss options.
Feed files are collected over SFTP. See Receiving data from TitlePage via SFTP for how to set up that connection.
What support does TitlePage provide?
If your POS system already has a TitlePage integration you generally won't need to do anything technical yourself. In most cases you'll simply request a TitlePage API token and provide it to your POS supplier.
If you are implementing a new integration, or connecting TitlePage data to a custom system or ecommerce platform, you will need access to a developer or system expert. The TitlePage team can explain the available options, answer questions, and work directly with your developer or POS provider, but is not able to provide hands-on implementation support or build integrations on your behalf.
Send your developer to Developer API Info, which covers authentication, endpoints, and the API Terms of Service.
A note on legacy services
The TitlePage SOAP API is currently end of life and will be retired soon. All future integrations should use the modern RESTful API. Use of the legacy SOAP web service is only recommended for existing integrations, such as one that may already be in place through your Point of Sale provider.
Long-term availability of the SOAP service is not guaranteed. If you have an existing system that still relies on SOAP, contact TitlePage to discuss next steps.
Getting started or discussing options
The right approach depends on your POS or ecommerce platform, how you want to use the data, and whether you need live access, bulk updates, or both.
If you're unsure where to start, check with your systems expert or POS provider first, then contact the TitlePage team to discuss your use case.
If technical work is required, we recommend involving your POS provider or developer early so discussions with TitlePage can be as efficient and practical as possible.
Related articles
- Point of Sale integration, connecting TitlePage to your POS system
- TitlePage Web Services API Guide, an overview of the available web services
- Developer API Info, technical detail for developers
- TitlePage Feed & Files, data feeds and delivery options
- What can I do with TitlePage data?, acceptable and unacceptable use of TitlePage data
- ONIX Versions, requirements, codelists, the ONIX versions TitlePage supports