# openlibrary.work

**stable** **Standard**

Open Library work (a book across all its editions).

`GET /v1/openlibrary/work`

## What you get

One Open Library record in Onekey's unified shape, in `data`. If the record does not exist you get a `404 not_found` and are not charged.

**Also works with:** [URL lookup](https://onekey.dev/docs/lookup.md) (`openlibrary.org/works/{id}/**`). Any [batch](https://onekey.dev/docs/batch.md) can include it.

## What it costs

- **Standard · 1 credit** for a fresh fetch, charged only when it succeeds.
- **Free when served from cache (0.2 credit for a cached response over 100 KB).**
- **Free** if the request is invalid (never charged) or the source fails or reports not found (refunded).

## Parameters

| Name | Type | Required | Default | What it is | Constraints |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `id` | string | yes | (required) | Open Library work id, e.g. OL45804W | max 14 chars; must match `OL[0-9]{1,10}W`; trimmed |

## Request

```bash
curl "https://api.onekey.dev/v1/openlibrary/work?id=OL45804W" \
  -H "x-api-key: YOUR_API_KEY"
```

```python
import requests

res = requests.get(
    "https://api.onekey.dev/v1/openlibrary/work",
    params={"id": "OL45804W"},
    headers={"x-api-key": "YOUR_API_KEY"},
)
body = res.json()

if body["success"]:
    print(body["data"])
else:
    print(body["error"]["code"], body["error"]["message"])
```

```javascript
const params = new URLSearchParams({ id: "OL45804W" });
const res = await fetch(`https://api.onekey.dev/v1/openlibrary/work?${params}`, {
  headers: { "x-api-key": "YOUR_API_KEY" },
});
const body = await res.json();

if (body.success) console.log(body.data);
else console.error(body.error.code, body.error.message);
```

## Recorded response

A real Open Library response, recorded and returned in Onekey's shape. Fields the platform does not provide are `null`.

```json
{
  "success": true,
  "data": {
    "entity": {
      "id": "/works/OL45804W",
      "name": "Fantastic Mr Fox",
      "description": "The main character of Fantastic Mr. Fox is an extremely clever anthropomorphized fox named Mr. Fox. He lives with his wife and four little foxes. In order to feed his family, he steals food from the cruel, brutish farmers named Boggis, Bunce, and Bean every night.\r\n\r\nFinally tired of being constantly outwitted by Mr. Fox, the farmers attempt to capture and kill him. The foxes escape in time by burrowing deep into the ground. The farmers decide to wait outside the hole for the foxes to emerge. Un"
    },
    "ext": {
      "firstPublishDate": null,
      "coverId": "6498519"
    }
  },
  "metadata": {
    "platform": "openlibrary",
    "endpoint": "work",
    "cached": false,
    "stale": false,
    "age_s": 0,
    "fetched_at": "2026-01-01T12:00:00+00:00",
    "credits_charged": 1,
    "request_id": "7f3a9c2e5b1d4c8fa2e6d0b9c4f18e37"
  },
  "error": null
}
```

## Field mapping

How this endpoint's source fields become Onekey's [unified schema](https://onekey.dev/docs/schema.md). Fields the source lacks come back as `null`.

| Source path | Onekey field | Transform |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `key` | `entity.id` | - |
| `title` | `entity.name` | - |
| `description` | `entity.description` | `toString` |
| `first_publish_date` | `ext.firstPublishDate` | - |
| `covers.0` | `ext.coverId` | `toString` |

## Caching and freshness

- Fresh for about 1 hour. Repeat calls in that window are served from cache and are free.
- Between 1 hour and 1 day the cached copy is still served instantly and marked `stale: true` while Onekey refreshes it in the background.
- If the source is down when a refresh is needed, the last copy can be served for up to 3 days more (marked stale).
- A "not found" is remembered for 5 minutes and is free.
- The cache is shared across all customers, which is what keeps repeat calls cheap.

## What can go wrong

| Status | Code | What to do |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 401 | `unauthorized` | Check the `x-api-key` header. |
| 402 | `insufficient_credits` | [Add credits](https://onekey.dev/pricing); your balance must cover the price. |
| 404 | `not_found` | That record does not exist. Free; do not retry. |
| 422 | `invalid_params` | Fix the parameters using the table above. Free. |
| 429 | `rate_limited` | Wait `Retry-After` seconds, then retry. |
| 502 | `upstream_error` | The source failed. Refunded; retry with backoff. |

See [Errors](https://onekey.dev/docs/errors.md) for the full list and retry guidance.

Status: stable (verified against the live source).