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Implementation Guide

This guide is intended to introduce the concepts of the COMET standard, and provide context for the fields within the COMET standard. It is a living document, and will change over time.​

About this Implementation Guide​

The COMET Standard implementation guide comes in two parts.

Part 1: The COMET Data Dictionary, this spreadsheet displays all data fields in their preferred formatting​

The COMET standard contains 125 total fields. Of these, 23 are always required and a further 14 are conditionally required depending on the product type (for example, comics, books, or variant covers). Within the data, there are three key types of information which describe a product: essential data, core data, and extended data.

Essential Data (6 fields; 3 always required, plus the applicable identifier: UPC for comics, or ISBN/EAN for books); Owned by Publisher

The minimum data required to create a product: a title, a primary identifier (UPC for periodical content, ISBN/EAN for book-formatted content) which will remain unchanged through the lifecycle of the product, and a retail price. This data is provided by a publisher and will be updated throughout the lifecycle of the product by the publisher. This data should remain the same no matter who the distributor is.

Core Data (77 fields; 19 always required, up to 11 more conditional); Owned by Publisher

Data that describes what the product is. This data is provided by the publisher and will be updated throughout the lifecycle of the product by the publisher. This data should remain the same no matter who the distributor is.

Extended Data (42 fields, 1 required); Owned by Distributor

Data added by the distributor, which explains how to order a product. This data is provided by a distributor, and will be updated throughout the lifecycle of the product by the distributor.

Part 2: The COMET Implementation Guide​

The COMET Implementation guide is intended to show, in text format, what each field represents, where it belongs in the file structure, and gives any additional context around the field.

About Required Data and the COMET Standard​

The COMET standard describes 125 fields, but not all are required. 23 fields are always required, and up to 14 more become required depending on the product type (comics, books, variant covers, kids' items).

  • Essential Data – The basic data required to describe a product, provided by the publisher.
    • 3 always required, plus the applicable identifier: UPC for comics, or ISBN/EAN for books
  • Core Data – Publisher data that describes the contents of the product
    • 19 always required, plus up to 11 conditional (e.g. SeriesName, SeriesNumber, SeriesType for comics)
  • Extended Data – Distributor data that describes how to order the product from a distributor
    • 1 Required field (StockCode)

Essential Data​

  • UPC (for Comics)
  • ISBN (for Books)
  • EAN (for Books)
  • FullTitle
  • PriceUSD
  • ProductCategory (From List)

Core Data​

  • SeriesName
  • SeriesNumber
  • CoverDescription
  • PrimaryFormatType (From List)
  • Description
  • OnSaleDate
  • PublisherName
  • SeriesFrequency
  • VariantNumber
  • SeriesCode (For Comics)
  • SeriesType (For Comics)
  • PageCount
  • PrimaryContentType (From List)
  • BISAC1 (From List)
  • BISAC1Description (From List)
  • Language (From List)
  • AgeRange (From List)
  • MediaRating (From List)
  • PublisherCode
  • Reprint
  • Printing
  • Writer
  • Artist
  • CoverArtist
  • UnitMeasurements
  • Unit Width
  • Unit Height
  • Unit Depth
  • Unit Weight

Extended Data​

  • StockCode