Download metadata from ASIN

CaitlinShaw · 06-16-2015, 11:51 PM

If I have the ASIN for a book which I got from Amazon, how can I get Calibre to download the metadata for that edition? If I just click "download metadata" it searches on title and author, and there doesn't seem to be anything in the configuration for it which would let me tell it to search by id.

I am sure there is something obvious which I am missing, but I am indeed missing it, so if someone could point me in the right direction I would be grateful!

(To explain why I want this: I lost my Calibre library -- yes, I know, I should have backed it up, I have learned this lesson -- and recreated it from my Kindle device. This got many of the records back, but the ones I'd purchased directly from Amazon came through with no author and mangled title. Fortunately, they mostly also came through with the ASIN appended to the title, so I can bulk edit the metadata and put the ASIN in the id field. But...then what? How do I use this ASIN to automatically retrieve the author and title and other information from Amazon?)

kovidgoyal · 06-16-2015, 11:54 PM

You need to make the asin show up as

amazon:whatever

not

mobi-asin:whatever

assuming you are downloading from amazon.com

Amazon's ASINs are regional website specific, which is why the asin from a mobi file cannot be directly used.

eschwartz · 06-17-2015, 12:08 AM

Doesn't it also work if you use asin:whatever"

kovidgoyal · 06-17-2015, 12:56 AM

Dont recall, but I do know amazon: works

06-16-2015, 11:51 PM	#1
CaitlinShaw Junior Member Posts: 3 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2011 Device: Kindle 3	Download metadata from ASIN If I have the ASIN for a book which I got from Amazon, how can I get Calibre to download the metadata for that edition? If I just click "download metadata" it searches on title and author, and there doesn't seem to be anything in the configuration for it which would let me tell it to search by id. I am sure there is something obvious which I am missing, but I am indeed missing it, so if someone could point me in the right direction I would be grateful! (To explain why I want this: I lost my Calibre library -- yes, I know, I should have backed it up, I have learned this lesson -- and recreated it from my Kindle device. This got many of the records back, but the ones I'd purchased directly from Amazon came through with no author and mangled title. Fortunately, they mostly also came through with the ASIN appended to the title, so I can bulk edit the metadata and put the ASIN in the id field. But...then what? How do I use this ASIN to automatically retrieve the author and title and other information from Amazon?)

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06-16-2015, 11:54 PM	#2
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 43,860 Karma: 22666666 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	You need to make the asin show up as amazon:whatever not mobi-asin:whatever assuming you are downloading from amazon.com Amazon's ASINs are regional website specific, which is why the asin from a mobi file cannot be directly used.

06-17-2015, 12:08 AM	#3
eschwartz Ex-Helpdesk Junkie Posts: 19,422 Karma: 85397180 Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: The Beaten Path, USA, Roundworld, This Side of Infinity Device: Kindle Touch fw5.3.7 (Wifi only)	Doesn't it also work if you use asin:whatever"

06-17-2015, 12:56 AM	#4
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 43,860 Karma: 22666666 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	Dont recall, but I do know amazon: works

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