About Isbn
Isbn is an MCP server for validating and converting ISBN-10 and ISBN-13 values. It suits cataloging and development workflows that need offline, keyless format checks and conversion with recomputed check digits.
Key features
- 01Validate ISBN-10 and ISBN-13 check digits
- 02Detect ISBN format
- 03Ignore hyphens and spaces
- 04Convert between ISBN-10 and ISBN-13
- 05Offline, keyless operation
Use cases
- 01Checking ISBN values in cataloging workflows
- 02Converting book identifiers between ISBN formats
- 03Validating ISBN input in an application
MCP support
Exposes `validate_isbn` and `convert_isbn` as MCP tools. It can run locally over stdio with only this pack's tools, or connect through Pipeworx, where shared gateway meta-tools are also available.
Configuration
Remote servers need no local install. Pick your client, then copy the config or install in one click.
https://gateway.pipeworx.io/isbn/mcpclaude mcp add --transport http pipeworx-io-isbn https://gateway.pipeworx.io/isbn/mcp{"mcpServers":{"pipeworx-io-isbn":{"type":"http","url":"https://gateway.pipeworx.io/isbn/mcp"}}}Open in Cursor{"servers":{"pipeworx-io-isbn":{"type":"http","url":"https://gateway.pipeworx.io/isbn/mcp"}}}Open in VS Code{"mcpServers":{"pipeworx-io-isbn":{"type":"http","url":"https://gateway.pipeworx.io/isbn/mcp"}}}{"mcpServers":{"pipeworx-io-isbn":{"serverUrl":"https://gateway.pipeworx.io/isbn/mcp"}}}Run commands in a terminal; paste JSON into the client’s MCP config and restart. Servers that need sign-in will prompt on first connect.
Tools
Details
From the project READMEmcp-isbn
ISBN validation & conversion MCP.
Part of Pipeworx — an MCP gateway connecting AI agents to 1679+ live data sources.
Tools
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
validate_isbn | Validate an ISBN-10 or ISBN-13 (keyless, offline): detects the format and checks the check digit (ISBN-10 uses mod-11 with an "X" for 10). Hyphens/spaces ignored. Validates the number, not the book. |
convert_isbn | Convert an ISBN between ISBN-10 and ISBN-13 (recomputing the check digit). ISBN-10 -> ISBN-13 prefixes "978"; ISBN-13 -> ISBN-10 works only for the 978 prefix. |
Quick Start
Add to your MCP client (Claude Desktop, Cursor, Windsurf, etc.):
{
"mcpServers": {
"isbn": {
"url": "https://gateway.pipeworx.io/isbn/mcp"
}
}
}
What this endpoint actually serves
tools/list at https://gateway.pipeworx.io/isbn/mcp returns the tools in the table
above plus the shared Pipeworx meta-tools — ask_pipeworx,
discover_tools, search_within, remember/recall and the rest of the
gateway-wide set. So the tool count you see is larger than this table: a
single-pack endpoint currently lists roughly 30 shared tools alongside the
pack's own. The connection's initialize response states its exact scope, and
is the authoritative answer for a given day.
This is deliberate, not multiplexing by accident. The meta-tools are what let a
scoped connection answer a question this pack does not cover — via
ask_pipeworx, which routes across the whole catalog — without you adding a
second MCP server. There is currently no way to mount a pack endpoint without
them; if the extra schemas cost you more context than the routing is worth,
connect to the full gateway once rather than to several pack endpoints.
Or connect to the full Pipeworx gateway to get every pack's tools listed directly, instead of just this one's:
{
"mcpServers": {
"pipeworx": {
"url": "https://gateway.pipeworx.io/mcp"
}
}
}
Both URLs reach the same gateway and the same 1679+ data sources. The
only difference is which pack's tools are listed directly; ask_pipeworx
reaches all of them from either one.
No MCP client? Call it over HTTP
curl -X POST https://gateway.pipeworx.io/v1/tools/validate_isbn \
-H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
-d '{"isbn":"978-0-306-40615-7"}'
No account needed for the first calls. Inspect any tool: GET https://gateway.pipeworx.io/v1/tools/validate_isbn. Find one: POST https://gateway.pipeworx.io/v1/tools/search_packs with {"query":"..."}.
Standalone (no gateway account)
This package also runs as a local stdio MCP server — no Pipeworx account, no gateway round-trip:
{
"mcpServers": {
"isbn": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "@pipeworx/mcp-isbn"]
}
}
}
Or run it directly to confirm it starts:
npx -y @pipeworx/mcp-isbn
It speaks MCP over stdin/stdout and answers initialize/tools/list/tools/call
for only this pack's tools — none of the shared meta-tools the gateway
connection above adds. Same source, same tools, no ask_pipeworx routing.
Using with ask_pipeworx
Instead of calling tools directly, you can ask questions in plain English — this works on the pack endpoint above as well as on the full gateway:
ask_pipeworx({ question: "your question about Isbn data" })
The gateway picks the right tool and fills the arguments automatically.
More
License
MIT
Comments
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