- A standardized XML metadata file for books.
- Current standard: ONIX 3.0.
- Required by Ingram, Apple, B&N, and most libraries.
- KDP (Amazon) does not require ONIX — uses its own metadata fields.
- Most indie authors don’t generate ONIX themselves — distributors handle it.
An ONIX feed is a standardized XML data file that publishers send to retailers, distributors, and libraries containing every metadata field for a book — title, description, BISAC codes, ISBN, price, contributor names, format. The current standard is ONIX 3.0; retailers like Apple and Ingram require ONIX feeds for full distribution.
Chapter i·Why it matters
ONIX is the lingua franca of book metadata in the industry. Major retailers and library wholesalers require ONIX-formatted data; without it, your book isn’t in their systems. Most indie authors never see an ONIX file — their distributor (IngramSpark, Draft2Digital) generates it from the metadata you enter.
Chapter ii·What to include
- A distributor that handles ONIX for you (IngramSpark, Draft2Digital).
- Complete metadata: title, subtitle, description, BISAC, ISBN, price, contributors.
- Per-format ONIX feeds: ebook, paperback, hardcover, audiobook.
- A "metadata health" check: each field complete and accurate.
- Updates: ONIX feeds refresh when you update metadata in the distributor.
- A note that KDP-only books skip ONIX entirely.
Chapter iii·Example
A self-publishing author uses IngramSpark for expanded print distribution. She enters metadata into IngramSpark’s dashboard; IngramSpark generates the ONIX 3.0 feed and pushes it to bookstores, libraries, and wholesalers worldwide. She never sees the XML file — but library systems list her book within 30 days.
Chapter iv·Related questions
WriteLoom’s Sell studio holds the canonical metadata that feeds ONIX distributors — one source of truth across every retailer.
See the Sell studio