ISBN barcode
The book identifier, carried in an EAN-13 with a 978 or 979 prefix and an optional five-digit price add-on.
Also known as: Bookland EAN, ISBN-13, EAN-13 with 978 or 979 prefix
What is ISBN?
An ISBN (International Standard Book Number) is the 13-digit identifier for a specific edition and format of a book, issued by a national ISBN agency rather than GS1. On a cover it is printed as an EAN-13 barcode with the 978 or 979 prefix, which is why any retail register can scan a book, usually with a five-digit add-on carrying the suggested price. One ISBN covers one edition in one format; a paperback, a hardcover, and an audiobook each need their own.
Encodes: The 13-digit ISBN as an EAN-13, plus an optional 2- or 5-digit add-on for price or issue.
How ISBN is structured
An ISBN-13 is an EAN-13 whose first three digits are the Bookland prefix. The remaining nine digits are assigned by the ISBN agency in blocks that vary in length by country and publisher size.
| Part | Length | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Prefix element | 3 digits | 978, or 979 once a country’s 978 range fills. 979 ISBNs have no ISBN-10 equivalent. |
| Registration group | 1 to 5 digits | The language or country agency: 0 and 1 for English-language, 2 for French, and so on. |
| Registrant | Variable | The publisher. Large publishers get short registrant numbers with room for many titles. |
| Publication element | Variable | The specific edition and format. |
| Check digit | 1 digit | EAN-13 mod 10 across the first twelve digits. |
Specifications
- Data
- 13 digits: 978 or 979, registration group, registrant, publication element, check digit
- Check digit
- Mod 10 with 1-3 weighting (the EAN-13 algorithm)
- Carrier symbology
- EAN-13; nominal 37.29 mm × 25.93 mm at 100%, magnification 80% to 200%
- Add-on
- 5-digit price add-on (5 followed by the US price in cents, or 90000 for no price) or a 2-digit add-on; 7X to 12X gap from the main symbol
- Quiet zones
- 11X left, 7X right of the main symbol; 5X after the add-on
- Issued by
- The national ISBN agency (Bowker in the United States, Nielsen in the UK), not GS1
- Placement
- Back cover, lower right for most US trade books; also on the jacket if there is one
Dimensions are GS1 General Specifications targets. Confirm against the retailer’s current routing guide before a print run.
Where it is used
- Print books, ebooks, and audiobooks, one ISBN per edition and format
- Retail point of sale for books at any store with a register
- Amazon, Ingram, and distributor catalogs, where the ISBN is the primary key
- Library cataloging and wholesale ordering
One number per edition, set into the cover by the designer
The ISBN is purchased from the national agency, assigned to the edition in the publisher’s title record, and rendered once into the cover file as vector EAN-13 art with the price add-on. It never changes for that edition. The system of record is the title metadata that feeds ONIX to distributors; the cover is downstream of it.
Mistakes that cost money
Reusing an ISBN across editions
A new format, a substantially revised edition, or a new publisher means a new ISBN. Reprints with typo fixes keep the same one.
Wrong price add-on
The add-on is 5 plus the price in cents for USD, so 51299 is $12.99. Printing 90000 when you want a price shown, or a stale price after a change, confuses registers and returns.
Encoding the hyphens
Hyphens belong in the human-readable line only. The barcode encodes thirteen digits.
Barcode only on the spine or inside flap
Retailers scan the back cover. The symbol must be there, unobstructed, at 80% magnification or larger.
Using an ISBN for merchandise
Non-book products sold alongside books need a GTIN from GS1, not an ISBN.
Legacy ISBN-10 on new stock
ISBN-10 has been retired since 2007. Convert with the 978 prefix and recompute the check digit; 979 numbers cannot be expressed as ISBN-10 at all.
How Endless handles ISBN
Endless stores the ISBN as the GTIN on the product record and treats each edition and format as its own variant, so ordering, inventory, and retailer catalogs stay aligned to the right identifier, and the same record drives ASNs and invoices to booksellers.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need GS1 to put a barcode on a book?
No. Buy the ISBN from your national ISBN agency and render it as an EAN-13. A 978 or 979 prefix is already a valid GTIN-13 that any register scans. You need GS1 only for non-book products.
Does an ebook need an ISBN?
It needs its own identifier to be listed and tracked separately from print, and most distributors expect an ISBN. Some platforms assign their own identifier instead, but an ISBN keeps your ebook discoverable everywhere.
What does the five-digit add-on mean?
The first digit is the currency (5 for US dollars, 4 for New Zealand, 6 for Canada), the next four are the price in cents. 90000 means no suggested price. Registers read it to display and validate the price.
Can I convert an ISBN-10 to ISBN-13?
Yes. Drop the ISBN-10 check digit, prefix 978, and compute a new EAN-13 check digit. The reverse only works for 978 numbers; a 979 ISBN has no ISBN-10 form.
Related symbologies
- EAN-13→
The 13-digit retail barcode scanned at point of sale everywhere outside North America, and accepted inside it.
- ISSN→
The magazine and journal identifier, carried in an EAN-13 with a 977 prefix and a two-digit issue add-on.
- ISMN→
The identifier for printed sheet music, carried in an EAN-13 beginning 979-0.
Definitions in the glossary
- Product Information Management (PIM)→
The practice and system for centralizing all product data as a single source of truth.
- GTIN (Global Trade Item Number)→
A globally unique product identifier used across trading partners and marketplaces.
Browse the full barcode symbology guide.
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