This article is for BOOKSELLER PARTNERS.


From time to time, Snapplify receives books from publishers ahead of their official release. While these ebooks are available for sale, they won't be accessible to customers until after their embargo dates.


An embargo date defines when content will be made publicly available and accessible. When you receive metadata from Snapplify, the embargo date is included. It’s important to take note of a book’s embargo date, as this will affect when book sales can start and what you need to communicate to customers.


If a customer purchases a book that has an embargo date, they won’t be able to access that ebook until the embargo date. 


Best practice for dealing with embargo dates

To mitigate complications and prevent customers from unknowingly paying for ebooks that they cannot access yet, we recommend using one of these approaches:

  • Start selling the ebook after the embargo date; or
  • Make the ebook available for sale but clearly indicate the implications to the customer. Let them know that even though they’ve bought the book, they will only be able to access the files once the embargo date has passed.


If you fail to use one of these options, you’ll be selling a book to customers that is not yet available for use.


Find out how to use Origin Catalogue API.


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