New York Times Books API
Official New York Times Books API for retrieving current and dated best-seller overviews and lists with book titles, authors, publishers, ranks, prices, and ISBN identifiers.
Connect this API to an AI agent Browse all specs
What you can do with New York Times 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 | /lists/overview.json |
GetBestSellersOverview | Get best sellers overview Method: GET Path: /lists/overview.json IMPORTANT: This function has 0 REQUIRED parameter(s) and 2 OPTIONAL parameter(s) REQUIRED parameters MUST be provided OPTIONAL parameters can be omitted if not needed Parameters: Query Parameters: OPTIONAL: - published_date: Optional publication date in YYYY-MM-DD format. - it: Optional list family selector. |
| GET | /lists/{date}/{list}.json |
GetBestSellersList | Get best sellers list Method: GET Path: /lists/{date}/{list}.json IMPORTANT: This function has 2 REQUIRED parameter(s) and 0 OPTIONAL parameter(s) REQUIRED parameters MUST be provided OPTIONAL parameters can be omitted if not needed Parameters: Path Parameters: REQUIRED: - date: ISO date in YYYY-MM-DD format or the literal current. - list: Official list name, URL-encoded, such as hardcover-fiction. |
Usage guide
## Authentication Create a developer account at the [New York Times Developer Portal](https://developer.nytimes.com/), create an application, and copy its Books API key. Pass the key on every request as the `api-key` query parameter. Keep the key server-side, apply the provider's rate limits, and monitor the application's quota. Example: `GET /lists/overview.json?api-key=YOUR_NYT_KEY`. ## Coverage This specification covers the current best-sellers overview and dated/current best-seller list endpoints. The official documentation should be checked for available list names and product changes.
How to use this spec
- Create a free VX Agents account (sandbox tools included).
- Open the marketplace and connect “New York Times Books API” to an agent.
- Expose it as an MCP server for Claude/ChatGPT, or chat with it directly.