OCLC Programs & Research Experimental Classification Web Service

Access to the Classify API is provided through a secure endpoint: https://metadata.api.oclc.org/classify/.
To learn more and request a WSkey,visit the API Keys page.

Classify API Documentation

Overview
This method provides recommendations intended to facilitate the assignment of Dewey (DDC) and Library of Congress (LCC) classification numbers for books, movies, music, and various other resource types.

The recommendations provided for a resource are based on the collective information available from the larger pool of related resources, identified using the OCLC FRBR Work-Set algorithm.

Try the Classify API Explorer

Encoding
The APIs expect all requests to be UTF-8 encoded. Responses are also UTF-8 encoded.

More information about UTF-8

Request Formats

! The Secured Classify API will now be served from Secured Endpoint: https://metadata.api.oclc.org/classify/ and this simple Request example will no longer work.

REST is the simplest format to use and the only request format currently supported. REST requests consist of URLs that can be invoked either via HTTP POST or GET methods, either programatically or via a WEB browser. For example:

http://classify.oclc.org/classify2/Classify?isbn=0679442723&summary=true

Response Formats
REST/XML is the only response format currently supported. The success or failure of a request is indicated in the response code. For example:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<classify xmlns="http://classify.oclc.org">
  <response code="0"/>
  ...
</classify>

Click the link in the 'Request Formats' section (above) to view a sample response.
Sample Code

! This Sample Code does not reflect the inclusion of the key, nor the new Secured Endpoint URL - https://metadata.api.oclc.org/classify/.

The following code samples are provided as "how-to" examples for using the APIs. They demonstrate how to use the CLassify API, but also serve as a general guide for accessing any of the REST services.

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