The New York Times API: List New York Times Best Sellers
Gets a New York Times Best Sellers list by its name for the latest issue, or for the issue covering a given date. Monthly lists use their issue month.
Unofficial. Not affiliated with or endorsed by The New York Times.
Inputs
Values from the run on Oct 31, 2026, shown under Output.
- Week optional
week Any day in the requested list week (YYYY-MM-DD), for example 2025-03-25. Leave out for the latest issue.
Not set
- List Name, required
list_name The list name in plain words, such as Hardcover Fiction or Young Adult Hardcover. Valid names: Combined Print & E-Book Fiction, Combined Print & E-Book Nonfiction, Hardcover Fiction, Hardcover Nonfiction, Paperback Trade Fiction, Advice, How-To & Miscellaneous, Children’s Middle Grade Hardcover, Children’s Picture Books, Children’s & Young Adult Series, Young Adult Hardcover, Audio Advice, How-To & Misc, Audio Children's, Audio Fiction, Audio Nonfiction, Business, Graphic Books and Manga, Middle Grade Paperback, Paperback Nonfiction, Young Adult Paperback.
Hardcover Fiction
Input as JSON
{ "list_name": "Hardcover Fiction"}Output
{ "books": [ { "rank": 1, "title": "DEAD BEAT", "author": "Leigh Bardugo", "isbn_13": "9781250884312", "buy_links": [ { "link": "https://www.amazon.com/dp/1250884314?tag=thenewyorktim-20" , "store_name": "Amazon" }, { "link": "https://goto.applebooks.apple/9781250884312?at=10lIEQ" , "store_name": "Apple Books" }, { "link": "https://barnesandnoble.sjv.io/c/197432/1961179/22009?prodsku=9781250884312&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.barnesandnoble.com%2Fw%2Fdead-beat-leigh-bardugo%2F1149244925%3Fean%3D9781250884312&intsrc=APIG_15890" , "store_name": "Barnes & Noble" } ], "page_link": "https://www.nytimes.com/books/best-sellers/2026/10/04/hardcover-fiction/#QmVzdFNlbGxlckJvb2s6LTk3ODEyNTA4ODQzMTI=" , "publisher": "Flatiron", "description": "The third book in the Ninth House series. Alex and her allies battle demons found in New Haven and on the Yale campus.", "weeks_on_list": 1, "rank_last_week": null, "book_review_link": null, "cover_image_link": "https://static01.nyt.com/bestsellers/images/9781250884312.jpg" }, { "rank": 2, "title": "HOLLOW BONES", "author": "Jodi Picoult", "isbn_13": "9780593726259", "buy_links": [ { "link": "https://www.amazon.com/dp/0593726251?tag=thenewyorktim-20" , "store_name": "Amazon" }, { "link": "https://goto.applebooks.apple/9780593726259?at=10lIEQ" , "store_name": "Apple Books" }, { "link": "https://barnesandnoble.sjv.io/c/197432/1961179/22009?prodsku=9780593726259&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.barnesandnoble.com%2Fw%2Fhollow-bones-jodi-picoult%2F1149014562%3Fean%3D9780593726259&intsrc=APIG_15890" , "store_name": "Barnes & Noble" } ], "page_link": "https://www.nytimes.com/books/best-sellers/2026/10/04/hardcover-fiction/#QmVzdFNlbGxlckJvb2s6LTk3ODA1OTM3MjYyNTk=" , "publisher": "Ballantine", "description": "A woman who runs the Rhode Island Department for Emergency Preparedness and her husband, who is a police polygraph expert, face a crisis in their marriage.", "weeks_on_list": 1, "rank_last_week": null, "book_review_link": null, "cover_image_link": "https://static01.nyt.com/bestsellers/images/9780593726259.jpg" }, { "rank": 3, "title": "THE THOROUGHBREDS", "author": "Elin Hilderbrand and Shelby Cunningham", "isbn_13": "9780316567916", "buy_links": [ { "link": "https://www.amazon.com/dp/0316567914?tag=thenewyorktim-20" , "store_name": "Amazon" }, { "link": "https://goto.applebooks.apple/9780316567916?at=10lIEQ" , "store_name": "Apple Books" }, { "link": "https://barnesandnoble.sjv.io/c/197432/1961179/22009?prodsku=9780316567916&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.barnesandnoble.com%2Fw%2Fthe-thoroughbreds-elin-hilderbrand%2F1149319401%3Fean%3D9780316567916&intsrc=APIG_15890" , "store_name": "Barnes & Noble" } ], "page_link": "https://www.nytimes.com/books/best-sellers/2026/10/04/hardcover-fiction/#QmVzdFNlbGxlckJvb2s6LTk3ODAzMTY1Njc5MTY=" , "publisher": "Little, Brown", "description": "The second book in the Academy series. Close relationships and the stability of the boarding school are in doubt.", "weeks_on_list": 1, "rank_last_week": null, "book_review_link": null, "cover_image_link": "https://static01.nyt.com/bestsellers/images/9780316567916.jpg" } ], "list_name": "Hardcover Fiction", "published_date": "2026-10-04"}Code
curl https://api.fous.com/v1/runs \ -H "Authorization: Bearer $FOUS_API_KEY" \ -H "Content-Type: application/json" \ -d '{"method":"nytimes.com/list_best_sellers","input":{"list_name":"Hardcover Fiction"}}' # Save as fous.py, then run: python3 fous.pyimport json, os, timefrom urllib.error import HTTPErrorfrom urllib.request import Request, urlopenAPI = "https://api.fous.com/v1/runs" KEY = os.environ["FOUS_API_KEY"]HEADERS = { "Authorization": f"Bearer {KEY}", "Content-Type": "application/json" ,}def call(url, body=None): data = json.dumps(body).encode() if body else None request = Request(url, data, HEADERS) try: with urlopen(request, timeout=120) as r: return r.status, json.load(r) except HTTPError as error: message = json.load(error)["error"]["message"] raise RuntimeError(message) from errorstatus, run = call(API, { "method": "nytimes.com/list_best_sellers" , "input": { "list_name": "Hardcover Fiction" }})# 202: still going after 30 s. Ask again until it ends.while status == 202: time.sleep(2) status, run = call(f"{API}/{run['id']}")print(json.dumps(run["data"], indent=2))// Save as fous.mjs, then run: node fous.mjsconst api = "https://api.fous.com/v1/runs" ;const headers = { Authorization: `Bearer ${process.env.FOUS_API_KEY}`, "Content-Type": "application/json" ,};let response = await fetch(api, { method: "POST", headers, body: JSON.stringify({ "method": "nytimes.com/list_best_sellers" , "input": { "list_name": "Hardcover Fiction" } }), signal: AbortSignal.timeout(120_000),});let run = await response.json();// 202: still going after 30 s. Ask again until it ends.while (response.status === 202) { await new Promise((done) => setTimeout(done, 2_000)); response = await fetch(`${api}/${run.id}`, { headers }); run = await response.json();}if (!response.ok) throw new Error(run.error.message);console.log(run.data);# Connect your agent to Fous once, over MCP (Streamable HTTP):# https://api.fous.com/mcp# Set FOUS_API_KEY first: create a key at https://app.fous.com/keys.# Claude Codeclaude mcp add \ --scope user \ --transport http fous https://api.fous.com/mcp \ --header "Authorization: Bearer ${FOUS_API_KEY:?Set FOUS_API_KEY to your Fous API key}"# Codexcodex mcp add fous \ --url https://api.fous.com/mcp \ --bearer-token-env-var FOUS_API_KEY# Cursor, VS Code, Windsurf, Cline and morenpx -y add-mcp https://api.fous.com/mcp -g -n fous \ --header "Authorization: Bearer ${FOUS_API_KEY:?Set FOUS_API_KEY to your Fous API key}"# Then ask your agent:# "Use Fous to run nytimes.com/list_best_sellers# with {"list_name":"Hardcover Fiction"}"Over HTTP, the answer’s data holds the output. A run still going after 30 seconds answers 202 with its id: ask GET /v1/runs/{id} until it ends.
Schema
Input schema
{ "type": "object", "required": [ "list_name" ], "properties": { "week": { "type": "string", "examples": [ "2025-03-25" ], "description": "Any day in the requested list week (YYYY-MM-DD), for example 2025-03-25. Leave out for the latest issue." }, "list_name": { "type": "string", "examples": [ "Hardcover Fiction" ], "description": "The list name in plain words, such as Hardcover Fiction or Young Adult Hardcover. Valid names: Combined Print & E-Book Fiction, Combined Print & E-Book Nonfiction, Hardcover Fiction, Hardcover Nonfiction, Paperback Trade Fiction, Advice, How-To & Miscellaneous, Children’s Middle Grade Hardcover, Children’s Picture Books, Children’s & Young Adult Series, Young Adult Hardcover, Audio Advice, How-To & Misc, Audio Children's, Audio Fiction, Audio Nonfiction, Business, Graphic Books and Manga, Middle Grade Paperback, Paperback Nonfiction, Young Adult Paperback." } }}Output schema
{ "type": "object", "required": [ "list_name", "published_date", "books" ], "properties": { "books": { "type": "array", "items": { "type": "object", "required": [ "rank", "rank_last_week", "weeks_on_list", "title", "author", "publisher", "description", "cover_image_link", "isbn_13", "buy_links", "book_review_link", "page_link" ], "properties": { "rank": { "type": "integer", "description": "Position on this list." }, "title": { "type": "string" }, "author": { "type": [ "string", "null" ] }, "isbn_13": { "type": [ "string", "null" ] }, "buy_links": { "type": "array", "items": { "type": "object", "required": [ "store_name", "link" ], "properties": { "link": { "type": "string" }, "store_name": { "type": "string" } } } }, "page_link": { "type": "string", "description": "Link to this book on its Best Sellers page." }, "publisher": { "type": [ "string", "null" ] }, "description": { "type": [ "string", "null" ] }, "weeks_on_list": { "type": [ "integer", "null" ], "description": "Number of issues on the list." }, "rank_last_week": { "type": [ "integer", "null" ], "description": "Rank on the preceding list, or null if not ranked then." }, "book_review_link": { "type": [ "string", "null" ] }, "cover_image_link": { "type": [ "string", "null" ] } } } }, "list_name": { "type": "string" }, "published_date": { "type": "string", "format": "date" } }}- Price
- 1 credit per completed run (1¢ with pay as you go); failed runs are free.
- Method
nytimes.com/list_best_sellers- Returns
- list name, published date, books with rank, last week's rank, weeks on list, title, author, publisher, description, cover image, ISBN-13, buy links, review link, page link
Use it from your agent
Give your agent this line. It reads SKILL.md, gets a Fous API key and connects the Fous MCP server. Its run then takes the method nytimes.com/list_best_sellers with the inputs above.
Ask your agent
- What's currently topping the NYT Hardcover Fiction best seller list?
- Show me the Young Adult Hardcover best sellers from the week of 2024-11-12, with ranks and weeks on the list.
- I need the Business best seller list for the issue covering 2025-01-15 — titles, authors, publishers, and ISBNs.
- Pull this week's Combined Print & E-Book Nonfiction rankings from The New York Times, including last week's positions and buy links.
- Which graphic novels and manga were best sellers around 2023-08-05?
See more
All The New York Times methodsLists current New York Times headlines with summaries, authors, images and publication times, in the order shown on the chosen section page (top stories or a section). Video-only items, ads and promotions are left out; times come from the section's feed and may be missing.
nytimes.com/list_headlinesSearches New York Times article headlines and summaries by keyword, optionally within a date range, and returns matching articles with dates, authors, sections and links, newest or most relevant first.
nytimes.com/search_newsLists current Hacker News stories in rank order from the top, newest, best, Ask HN, Show HN or jobs list.
news.ycombinator.com/list_front_pageLists Steam's top-selling, discounted, or new and trending games in store order, with prices for a chosen country, review summaries and release dates.
store.steampowered.com/list_top_sellersGets Netflix's weekly Top 10 movies or TV shows worldwide (English or non-English lists, with views, hours viewed and runtime) or in one country (ranks and weeks in the Top 10 only) for the latest published week or the Monday-to-Sunday week containing a given date.
netflix.com/list_top_10Lists the current bestselling audiobooks of an Audible store (United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, India, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Brazil or Japan), overall or in one chart category, in chart order with listed prices.
audible.com/list_best_sellersLists current Amazon Best Sellers in the closest matching top-level category for a store country (United States, United Kingdom, Germany, India, Canada or Australia), up to 100 ranked products. Prices, ratings and photos may be missing.
amazon.com/list_best_sellersLists the highest-Metascore games, movies or TV shows on Metacritic for a release year or all time. You can filter by genre, and by platform for games.
metacritic.com/list_best_reviewed
