How does Google's book feed distinguish a work from its editions?

Definition: In Google's Book actions feed, a work is the abstract book, while an edition is a concrete version of that book. The work-level workExample relationship points to one or more edition-level Book entities, where identifiers and format describe the specific edition.

Key facts

• Google's Book actions documentation places title, author, and original language on the work, and publication year, edition name, and ISBN on the edition.
• A work must have at least one workExample; Google defines that property as an instance of a Book edition in the work record.
• Google recommends grouping multiple editions under one work. If separate work records are needed, each record needs a different @id and at least one edition with an ISBN or another supported identifier.
• Google prefers ISBN-13 and also supports OCLC Number, LCCN, and JP e-code. Google says to convert ISBN-10 to ISBN-13 before sending a feed.
• The edition-level bookFormat value is one of AudiobookFormat, EBook, Hardcover, or Paperback in the documented feed vocabulary.

What is the work-level relationship?

Google describes a work as “the abstract concept of a book.” Its examples place the book's title and author on the top-level Book, then attach editions through workExample. The property is an array when a work has several editions, and Google requires at least one workExample for every work.

Schema.org's workExample definition describes the property as an example, instance, realization, or derivation of a creative work, including a paperback edition, first edition, or e-book. Its example shows one book with separate workExample objects for editions published by HarperCollins and Ballantine, each with its own publication year and ISBN.

{
  "@type": "Book",
  "@id": "https://example.com/work/the_catcher_in_the_rye",
  "name": "The Catcher in the Rye",
  "workExample": [
    {
      "@type": "Book",
      "@id": "https://example.com/edition/the_catcher_in_the_rye_paperback",
      "isbn": "9787543321724",
      "bookEdition": "Mass Market Paperback",
      "bookFormat": "https://schema.org/Paperback"
    }
  ]
}

Which identifiers belong to an edition?

Google calls ISBN the main reconciliation signal when Search matches feed data to its data. It prefers ISBN-13 and accepts OCLC Number, Library of Congress Control Number, or JP e-code as alternatives. For an edition with no ISBN, Google says that grouping it with another edition that has a supported identifier may help Google use that available identifier.

The required edition property isbn is the ISBN-13 of that edition. Google also documents identifier for an external ID that unambiguously identifies the edition. Its PropertyValue form uses propertyID values OCLC_NUMBER, LCCN, or JP_E-CODE, with the ID in value; the property can be repeated for multiple identifiers.

How are formats and edition names represented?

Google's edition entity uses bookFormat for the edition's format. The supported values are https://schema.org/AudiobookFormat, https://schema.org/EBook, https://schema.org/Hardcover, and https://schema.org/Paperback. Schema.org defines bookFormat as “The format of the book” and expects a BookFormatType value.

Use bookEdition for edition information such as 2nd Edition. Use datePublished for the edition's publication date or year. Google recommends name only when the edition title differs from the work title, and says an edition's sameAs should identify that specific edition rather than reuse the work's sameAs URL.

What should a feed record contain?

Keep the work record's stable organization-owned @id on the work and assign a different stable @id to each edition. Put workExample on the work and put the ISBN, edition label, format, language, publication date, and purchase or borrowing action on the edition object. Google documents potentialAction on the edition for a ReadAction or BorrowAction.

When several editions represent the same work, Google's guidance recommends one grouped work record. A separate work record is the documented fallback when required, and each such record needs its own @id plus an edition carrying an ISBN or other supported identifier.

Related terms

• Structured data
• JSON-LD
• Schema.org @id
• Schema.org sameAs
• Product structured data

FAQ

Can one work contain several editions?

Yes. Google documents multiple workExample values on a work and recommends grouping editions together where possible. Each edition remains its own Book entity with its own identifier and edition-specific properties.

Does an ISBN identify the work or the edition?

In this feed model, ISBN is edition metadata. Google describes ISBN as the main matching signal and requires the edition's isbn value to be ISBN-13 when that property is used.

Where should paperback or e-book information go?

Put the format on the edition's bookFormat property. Google lists Paperback and EBook among the supported values, alongside Hardcover and AudiobookFormat.

Sources

1. Google Search Central, "Book actions (Book) structured data", 10 December 2025
2. Schema.org, "Book", 16 September 2026
3. Schema.org, "workExample", 16 September 2026
4. Schema.org, "bookFormat", 16 September 2026

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