Google Books API
Google Books API v1 for searching volumes and retrieving book metadata, availability and viewability information.
Connect this API to an AI agent Browse all specs
What you can do with Google Books API via MCP
Every endpoint below becomes a governed tool your AI agent (Claude, ChatGPT, or a customer-facing VX agent) can call — with scoped permissions, sandbox testing, and audit logs.
| Method | Path | Operation | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| GET | /volumes |
SearchVolumes | Search books Method: GET Path: /volumes IMPORTANT: This function has 1 REQUIRED parameter(s) and 7 OPTIONAL parameter(s) REQUIRED parameters MUST be provided OPTIONAL parameters can be omitted if not needed Parameters: Query Parameters: REQUIRED: - q: Required volume search expression. OPTIONAL: - startIndex: Zero-based result offset. - maxResults: Maximum number of volumes to return. - printType: Filter by books or magazines. - orderBy: Sort by relevance or newest. - langRestrict: Restrict results to a language code. - filter: Filter by partial, full, free-ebooks, paid-ebooks or ebooks. - key: Google API key for quota and identification. |
| GET | /volumes/{volumeId} |
GetVolume | Get a volume Method: GET Path: /volumes/{volumeId} IMPORTANT: This function has 1 REQUIRED parameter(s) and 1 OPTIONAL parameter(s) REQUIRED parameters MUST be provided OPTIONAL parameters can be omitted if not needed Parameters: Path Parameters: REQUIRED: - volumeId: Google Books volume identifier. Query Parameters: OPTIONAL: - key: Google API key for quota and identification. |
Usage guide
## Authentication Create an API key in **Google Cloud Console > APIs & Services > Credentials**, enable the Books API and restrict the key before production. Append it as `key=YOUR_GOOGLE_BOOKS_KEY`. Public volume search may work without an Authorization header, but Google recommends identifying public-data requests with an API key or access token. OAuth 2.0 is required for private user-specific data. ```bash curl "https://www.googleapis.com/books/v1/volumes?q=flowers+inauthor:keyes&maxResults=10&key=YOUR_GOOGLE_BOOKS_KEY" ``` Do not expose unrestricted keys in public source code; follow Google API key restrictions and quota guidance.
How to use this spec
- Create a free VX Agents account (sandbox tools included).
- Open the marketplace and connect “Google Books API” to an agent.
- Expose it as an MCP server for Claude/ChatGPT, or chat with it directly.