GENBN

Generative book number · open standard

Example

GENBN

1337Z0R

site or service

2026

year

FIC

category
3 char

SCFI

subcategory
4 char

0004172

serial

An open standard for identifying books made with generative AI.

A GENBN says who made a book, when, and what kind it is.

Name, email, and a verification link. Then you’re ready to mint.

The fields

Field	Length	Holds
site / service	≤ 15	The platform, tool or press that generated the book.
year	4	The year the code was minted.
category	3	The broad kind of book.
subcategory	4	Narrows the category.
serial	4+	Begins with a zero, starts at `0001`, and grows a digit as needed. No special characters.

0001→0999→ 01000→09999999 grows as needed

Registration is open

Basics

Name + email

Then mint

API key

After verification you get an API key. Mint a GENBN, then set the ebook URL (or a URL template).

One code per book. A GENBN is issued once and never reused. After minting, set the ebook URL — or configure a URL template like https://yoursite.com/b/{id} so genbn.org/{id} redirects automatically.

Start using GENBN

1. Register and verify your email

Register your service, open the email link, and confirm activation. Save your API key on your server; never put it in browser code or a public repository.

2. Choose a category and mint a number

Browse the categories above or fetch the category catalog. Replace the placeholders below with your key and a stable publication ID.

curl https://genbn.org/api/v1/books \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Idempotency-Key: publication:YOUR_PUBLICATION_ID" \
  -d '{"category":"FIC","subcategory":"SCFI"}'

Save both genbn (the display number) and id (the URL form) from the response. Retry with the same idempotency key and payload to avoid issuing a second number.

3. Attach the book’s destination

Replace YOUR_ID with the returned id and use your book’s public URL.

curl -X PATCH https://genbn.org/api/v1/books/YOUR_ID \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"url":"https://your-publisher.com/books/your-book"}'

You can also include url when minting, or set a publisher URL template containing {id}.

4. Share the permanent identifier

Display the GENBN beside the book and link to https://genbn.org/YOUR_ID. Update the destination whenever the book moves; keep its identifier.

Building with an AI assistant?

Give your assistant the integration guide and OpenAPI document below. They describe authentication, request formats, retries, and the registration flow.

AI documentation index · Integration guide (Markdown) · OpenAPI specification (JSON)

Keep credentials in your own secret configuration. Documentation and examples use placeholders only.