Get started with series

Important:

• Some features may not be available in your country.

A series page on Google Play is a dedicated page that features a group of books that are meant to be read or listened to in order. Once a series page exists, a series may be eligible for bundle promotions.

Create a series on Play

1. In the Partner Centre, click Book catalogue.
2. Click on the book that's going to be a part of your new series.
3. In the 'Book Info' section, at the top of the page, click on the 'Series' tab.
4. Enter the series name and series number into the corresponding text boxes.
   • The series number must be a whole number, with no skipped or repeated numbers in the series.
5. Click Save.

Tip: If you had previously provided series information when setting up the book, the data may automatically populate in the text boxes. If needed, you can update the automatically populated data.

Submit series metadata

Series name

The name of the series that you want to create.

• After you click into a book within your catalogue, under the 'Series' section in the 'Book info' tab, you can find the 'Series name' field.
• The series name must match across all books in the series, including capitalisation, spaces and other punctuation.

Tip: When you use ONIX, <TitleElement> composites with <TitleElementLevel> of 02 is considered the series name. Learn more details about ONIX.

Series number

• The series number of each book must be a whole Arabic numeral.
• Each book needs a number with no skipped or repeated numbers.

Tip: There’s an exception for books in special book types with no sequence numbers.

Genre

After you click into a book within your catalogue, you can add genres when you select Genre at the top of the 'Book Info' tab.

If the books in your series are comics, graphic novels, manga or light novels, add the appropriate genre listed below to all the books in the series. Play uses this information to give the most relevant information to users.

• Comic or graphic novel: Under 'COMICS & GRAPHIC NOVELS' in Book Industry Standards and Communications (BISAC)
• Manga: Under 'COMICS and GRAPHIC NOVELS' in BISAC or Manga subject codes (Japan and South Korea)
• Light novel: Under 'YAF035000 YOUNG ADULT FICTION/Light novel (Ranobe)' in BISAC

Also, make sure that you provide the correct language of your book in the Book info.

Special book types

To help your customers and Play understand the relationship between books, include words in the book's title that indicate its special type:

• Box set
• Bundle
• Omnibus
• Special edition

For bundles and box sets, you can create bundle discounts that bundle together single titles. Learn how to create bundle discounts for books in a series. Bundle discounts offer:

• A better user experience
• More promotional control for publishers

How Google Play displays books in a series

Google Play optimises how it displays a series page based on the genre of the book. 

If your book is in a comic, graphic novel, manga or light novel genre, Play displays:

• Book subtitle
• Series name
• Series number

If your book is in a genre other than those listed above, Play displays:

• Book title
• Series name
• Series number

Update series metadata

Option 1: Update metadata through the Series catalogue page (recommended)

1. In the Partner Centre, click Series catalogue.
2. To find a series, search for it or scroll through the series.
3. Select the series.
4. On the 'Series details' page, edit the series metadata.

Option 2: Update metadata through the Book catalogue page

1. In the Partner Centre, click Book catalogue.
2. Click any book that's part of the series that you want to edit.
3. At the top of the page, under 'Book info',  click Series.
4. Click View series details page.
5. Edit series metadata.

Tip: If Google Play doesn't reflect the changes made within 48 hours, contact our customer support.

Add a book to a series

You can add books to new or existing series.

Option 1: Add a book through the Series catalogue page (recommended)

1. In the Partner Centre, click Series catalogue.
2. To find a series, use the search function.
3. Select the series to go  to the 'Series details' page. 
4. In the 'Series titles' section, click Add title.
5. Search for and select the book that you want to add to the series.
6. Select the series relationship type.
7. Add a series number for the book.
   • The series number must be a whole number and can’t skip or repeat a number in the series.
8. Click Save.

Option 2: Add through the Book details page

1. In the Partner Centre, click Book catalogue.
2. Select the book that you want to add to a series.
3. At the top of the page, under 'Book info',  click Series.
4. Add a book to a series.

Add a book to a new series

1. Enter the series name and series number into the corresponding text boxes.
   • The series number must be a whole number and can’t skip or repeat a number in the series.
2. Click Save.

Tip: If you provided series information when you added the book, the metadata may get auto-filled. You can update the metadata or delete it.

Add a book to an existing series

1. Click Add to existing series.
2. From the drop-down menu, select the series that you want to add the book to.
3. Select the series relationship type.
4. Add a series number for the book.
   • The series number must be a whole number and you can’t skip or repeat numbers in the series.
5. Click Save.

Option 3: Add through the Book catalogue page

1. In the Partner Centre, click Book catalogue.
2. Search for the series.
3. Select the series.
4. To go to the series page, click on the filter that has the series name in it.
5. Under 'Series titles', click Add title.
6. Search for the book that you want to add to the series.
7. Select the book that you want to add.
8. Select the series relationship type.
9. Add a series number for the book.
   • The series number must be a whole number and can’t skip or repeat a number in the series.
10. Click Save.

Tip:

To reorder titles within a series:

1. On the series page, scroll to the 'Series titles' section.
2. To reorder, drag and drop titles.