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We offer versatile compatibility with various upload formats and database software. Below is a list of some of the formats we currently support:
- Access
- The Art of Books
- Basil Bookstore Software
- Bookhound
- Booklist
- Bookmate
- BookBookRouter
- Excel
- HomeBase
- Neatoscan
We also accept custom upload formats that require a minimum of five fields. These fields include:
- Record number: Also known as inventory number, seller SKU, SKU, dealer book ID, or item number.
- Author
- Title
- Description: Can be a simple format indicator (e.g., "hardcover" or "softcover") or a more detailed description of the book and its condition.
- Price
When submitting custom upload formats, please ensure the following:
- Delimiters: We recommend using tabs or pipes as delimiters since they are less common in book descriptions compared to commas.
- Data format: Uploads should be in regular delimited text files, including tab, pipe, and comma-delimited files, as well as UIEE format. These files can be generated from popular software like Excel and Access. If you use a spreadsheet program, export your book information in tab-delimited .txt (text) format.
To avoid any misunderstandings, it's advisable to include a header line or data dictionary as the first line of the upload file. This line should define the fields you are sending. If no header is included, please contact [email protected] with a list of field definitions. The order of the fields in your uploads can be customized according to your preference.
For Excel users, we recommend using the tab-delimited option to create a tab-delimited file for upload. If CSV is used, ensure that you save the sheet with " (double quotation marks) as the delimiter.
Included below is a sample upload file with field definitions:
Book ID | Status (A=add) | Price | Author | Title | Condition | First Edition (1=True) | Format 54 | A | 4.00 | Robert A. Heinlein | Stranger in a Strange Land | Very Good | 1 | hardcover
In addition to the five required fields mentioned above, here are some recommended fields you can include in your uploads:
- Book Condition
- Book Description
- Catalog
- Edition Description/Edition
- Format or Binding
- Illustrator
- Image URL
- ISBN
- Jacket (or Dust Jacket) Condition
- Jacket (or Dust Jacket) Description
- Keywords
- Language
- Pages
- Publication Date
- Publication Place
- Publisher
- Subtitle
- Quantity
Boolean fields can also be included to indicate true or false values for specific attributes. Examples include book status (for sale or sold), first edition, signed, and dust jacket present.
For example, "STATUS(A=add)" is a boolean field. In that case, "add" is the "true" value, and indicates that the listing should be active (listed as for sale). If any other word is present in that field, such as "delete" or "sold", or if the field is left blank, then the listing would be filtered as inactive (not for sale). If the listing is already present in your active inventory, it would be removed. If the listing is not already present in your active inventory, it would simply be processed as an inactive listing.
If you include boolean fields which use "yes" as the true value, please note that the case does not matter. In other words, you are welcome to upload that data as "Yes" or "No". You can also simply use "y" or "n" as well. Using "1" or "0" will also work. Whichever expression you choose, please be consistent, to avoid any errors in processing your upload. Just let us know what your "true" value is for any of your Boolean fields.
For any further inquiries regarding your software or file upload format, please reach out to us at [email protected].