The transition to ONIX 3 has officially started

Following Amazon’s recent announcement, all publishers sending ONIX metadata for eBooks must upgrade to ONIX 3 by March 2026. This milestone confirms the end of ONIX 2.1, which has been used by the book industry for almost twenty years.

If your metadata is still based on ONIX 2.1, now is the time to prepare your transition.

Why ONIX 3 matters

The move to ONIX 3 is a necessary step for every publisher.
The European Accessibility Act (EAA) now requires accessibility metadata for all eBooks sold in the European Union. These details, such as text-to-speech support, high-contrast options, or dyslexia-friendly layouts, can only be included using ONIX 3 codelist 196.

Without this metadata, your eBooks may not comply with accessibility rules and could lose access to important markets.

New opportunities with ONIX 3.1

ONIX 3.1 is more than an update. It offers better tools for today’s publishing environment:

• Improved discoverability with multilingual descriptions and rich marketing data.

• Better management of international rights with detailed territorial information.

• Full support for digital products, including subscriptions, complex pricing, and accessibility features.

These new features help publishers share and promote their catalogues more effectively around the world.

A smooth transition

Moving from ONIX 2.1 to 3 does not mean starting over.
Most professional metadata systems, including ONIXEDIT Cloud and ONIXEDIT Pro, already support ONIX 3.1 and make the transition simple.
Even custom in-house systems can reuse around 60 to 70 percent of their existing logic. It is mainly a change of format, not a full rebuild.

Start your transition today

With less than six months before Amazon’s deadline, it is important to plan now. Review your metadata processes, contact your distribution partners, and make sure your eBooks include the required accessibility data.

ONIXEDIT is ready to help you move to ONIX 3.1 and stay compliant with international publishing standards.

Prepare your metadata today. The future of book data is ONIX 3.1.

For more details and industry insights, we invite you to read the full article by Claire Holloway on the BISG website: “Time to Act: The ONIX 3 Transition is Actually Here” (October 28, 2025).