# Adding ISBN database **URL:** \ **Category:** Database\ **Created:** [November 20, 2023, 11:45am UTC](https://forum.adalo.com/t/adding-isbn-database/43388 "2023-11-20T11:45:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Badmenfinance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Badmenfinance](https://forum.adalo.com/u/Badmenfinance)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2023, 11:45am UTC](https://forum.adalo.com/t/adding-isbn-database/43388/1 "2023-11-20T11:45:10Z")
Hi, I’m trying to connect to an external database, however I can’t seem to figure out how to connect to it. Can somebody take a look at their api documentation and explain to me how to connect to it on Adalo? link - [ISBNdb API Documentation v2 | ISBNdb](https://isbndb.com/apidocs/v2) Thanks in advance! ---
**Author:** ![Rozza](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forum.adalo.com/rozza/32/22780_2.png) [@Rozza](https://forum.adalo.com/u/Rozza)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2023, 12:03pm UTC](https://forum.adalo.com/t/adding-isbn-database/43388/2 "2023-11-20T12:03:04Z")
Post up what you have tried so far ---
**Author:** ![Badmenfinance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Badmenfinance](https://forum.adalo.com/u/Badmenfinance)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2023, 12:19pm UTC](https://forum.adalo.com/t/adding-isbn-database/43388/4 "2023-11-20T12:19:49Z")
Have tried adding the http connect - [https://api2.isbndb.com](https://api2.isbndb.com) and added my api key as a Header ---
**Author:** ![Rozza](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forum.adalo.com/rozza/32/22780_2.png) [@Rozza](https://forum.adalo.com/u/Rozza)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2023, 12:33pm UTC](https://forum.adalo.com/t/adding-isbn-database/43388/5 "2023-11-20T12:33:10Z")
As a header? The docs specify some other parameters required in the header. Post up what you have in full. Redact the auth key. ---
**Author:** ![Badmenfinance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Badmenfinance](https://forum.adalo.com/u/Badmenfinance)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2023, 12:43pm UTC](https://forum.adalo.com/t/adding-isbn-database/43388/6 "2023-11-20T12:43:56Z")
![Screenshot 2023-11-20 at 13.42.30](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/uploads/adalo/original/3X/9/8/98d9edbe5eaeeff471373d4414adc7b52b91a624.png) ![Screenshot 2023-11-20 at 13.43.10](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/uploads/adalo/original/3X/3/1/31537a7e8998f93e8cb6a0cb376688eb0c340677.png) ![Screenshot 2023-11-20 at 13.43.04](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/uploads/adalo/original/3X/8/c/8c007572d46f7e8da434711b10386a71da981467.png) ---
**Author:** ![Rozza](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forum.adalo.com/rozza/32/22780_2.png) [@Rozza](https://forum.adalo.com/u/Rozza)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2023, 1:34pm UTC](https://forum.adalo.com/t/adding-isbn-database/43388/7 "2023-11-20T13:34:51Z")
OK, I think you are trying to get a list of ALL books, which you can’t do. You need to supply some search criteria. Your endpoint base should be [https://api2.isbndb.com/books/{search\_term}](https://api2.isbndb.com/books/%7Bsearch_term%7D) With query param \*\*column:\*\*_title, author, etc…_ So you can’t have it as an external collection exactly, but you could setup some filters stored under the ‘Logged In user’, then pass these as params. I would look for another API, if that doesn’t exist, go for the approach I described above. If you need help with that book a slot with me 👍 ---
**Author:** ![Flawless](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forum.adalo.com/flawless/32/20131_2.png) [@Flawless](https://forum.adalo.com/u/Flawless)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2023, 3:40pm UTC](https://forum.adalo.com/t/adding-isbn-database/43388/8 "2023-11-21T15:40:44Z")
I’ve been able to successfully integrate the ISBN DB into one of the apps I’ve developed for a client. ---
**Author:** ![Badmenfinance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Badmenfinance](https://forum.adalo.com/u/Badmenfinance)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2023, 11:04pm UTC](https://forum.adalo.com/t/adding-isbn-database/43388/9 "2023-11-21T23:04:13Z")
how? ---
**Author:** ![Rozza](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forum.adalo.com/rozza/32/22780_2.png) [@Rozza](https://forum.adalo.com/u/Rozza)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2023, 8:12am UTC](https://forum.adalo.com/t/adding-isbn-database/43388/10 "2023-11-22T08:12:41Z")
You need to pass some search parameters, you can’t just have an external collection of Get/ ALL. Their endpoint does not allow for this, but as I have said it can be done via passing parameters. I’ve messaged you privately to do this on a 1-1 basis. You may not have seen that message. ---
**Author:** ![Badmenfinance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Badmenfinance](https://forum.adalo.com/u/Badmenfinance)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2023, 12:20pm UTC](https://forum.adalo.com/t/adding-isbn-database/43388/11 "2023-11-22T12:20:56Z")
I want access to all their books and that my users can find them and add them to their own reading list / collection is that possible? ---
**Author:** ![Rozza](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forum.adalo.com/rozza/32/22780_2.png) [@Rozza](https://forum.adalo.com/u/Rozza)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2023, 12:59pm UTC](https://forum.adalo.com/t/adding-isbn-database/43388/12 "2023-11-22T12:59:12Z")
Yes it can. I’ve explained how it can be done. Store the search parameters in logged in user and add those params to your external collection endpoint. Then save the isbn or whole record to an Adalo collection when the user ‘adds’ to their collection. ---
**Author:** ![Rozza](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forum.adalo.com/rozza/32/22780_2.png) [@Rozza](https://forum.adalo.com/u/Rozza)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2023, 4:01pm UTC](https://forum.adalo.com/t/adding-isbn-database/43388/13 "2023-11-23T16:01:21Z")
You asked me about google books API. It is possible. You just need to read the documentation and apply the same method as I have described before in this thread. Adalo is quick and mistakes cost nothing, so just start putting something together. ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/uploads/adalo/original/3X/7/7/77fbb2076fd10ca67abfd05be1e4e655e91f3680.jpeg) ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/uploads/adalo/original/3X/0/c/0cf2c62352854f95f81d483b6eef3757d42bd993.jpeg) ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/uploads/adalo/original/3X/c/4/c4289537cc80e129729b5f456657322a211b044d.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![Badmenfinance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Badmenfinance](https://forum.adalo.com/u/Badmenfinance)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2023, 12:17pm UTC](https://forum.adalo.com/t/adding-isbn-database/43388/14 "2023-11-24T12:17:27Z")
any way you can show me how you made this? I’m a little lost at the moment… ---
**Author:** ![Rozza](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forum.adalo.com/rozza/32/22780_2.png) [@Rozza](https://forum.adalo.com/u/Rozza)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2023, 1:02pm UTC](https://forum.adalo.com/t/adding-isbn-database/43388/15 "2023-11-24T13:02:09Z")
Post up what you’ve got and I’ll take a look 👍 ---
**Author:** ![Badmenfinance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Badmenfinance](https://forum.adalo.com/u/Badmenfinance)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2023, 1:13pm UTC](https://forum.adalo.com/t/adding-isbn-database/43388/16 "2023-11-24T13:13:32Z")
![Screenshot 2023-11-24 at 14.12.47](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/uploads/adalo/original/3X/a/c/aca47241890bcc3491aca354d80e2bc562699e9c.png) ![Screenshot 2023-11-24 at 14.12.55](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/uploads/adalo/original/3X/7/7/77ed04e3e2e0ced580f824e2e7fd0122f5483be7.png) Ok I got it to work but it looks like I’m only getting 10 books, how do I get access to all the books? ---
**Author:** ![Badmenfinance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Badmenfinance](https://forum.adalo.com/u/Badmenfinance)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2023, 1:14pm UTC](https://forum.adalo.com/t/adding-isbn-database/43388/17 "2023-11-24T13:14:07Z")
![Screenshot 2023-11-24 at 14.13.48](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/uploads/adalo/original/3X/0/7/07d92d967c8987eaf9c11fa1665fad8c1dcd4c0d.png) the 10 abovementioned books ---
**Author:** ![Rozza](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forum.adalo.com/rozza/32/22780_2.png) [@Rozza](https://forum.adalo.com/u/Rozza)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2023, 1:55pm UTC](https://forum.adalo.com/t/adding-isbn-database/43388/18 "2023-11-24T13:55:30Z")
Awesome, well done you are getting the hang of it. > [@Rozza](#): > > I think you are trying to get a list of ALL books, which you can’t do. You need to supply some search criteria. This still applies. You have searched for books with the term “search term”. That needs to come from your logged in user table, as I have said above. Regarding 10 records, you need to implement pagination. Pagination of external collections is well documented both for Adalo and in the Google Documentation. FYI, the search bar of a simple list will likely not hook up to the External Collection param, so use a custom list and update the logged in user with the search term, the external collection then gets the search term from the user record. ---
**Author:** ![Badmenfinance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Badmenfinance](https://forum.adalo.com/u/Badmenfinance)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2023, 2:57pm UTC](https://forum.adalo.com/t/adding-isbn-database/43388/19 "2023-11-24T14:57:28Z")
how do I add a search function to a custom list? any way you can show me how you did it? ---
**Author:** ![Rozza](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forum.adalo.com/rozza/32/22780_2.png) [@Rozza](https://forum.adalo.com/u/Rozza)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2023, 3:15pm UTC](https://forum.adalo.com/t/adding-isbn-database/43388/20 "2023-11-24T15:15:13Z")
You are not adding a search to the list. Your search actually updates the logged in user and that is what your external collection references. It’s all in this thread. ---
**Author:** ![Badmenfinance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Badmenfinance](https://forum.adalo.com/u/Badmenfinance)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2023, 3:44pm UTC](https://forum.adalo.com/t/adding-isbn-database/43388/21 "2023-11-24T15:44:31Z")
![Screenshot 2023-11-24 at 16.43.39](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/uploads/adalo/original/3X/4/0/40ae886a42f1b97c79e66ba891614a2a2349bb2a.png) I understand I’m making a form that updates the search query parameters, however I can’t add a function to this input field that updates the logged in user’s search query, any ideas why? [Next page](https://forum.adalo.com/t/adding-isbn-database/43388.md?page=2)