TRACKER TERMS
Reading tracker terms explained in plain words
Short answer
Reading apps use their own vocabulary: shelves, DNF, buddy reads, privacy labels, CSV exports. This page explains each term in a sentence or two and points to the apps that use it. Terms are in alphabetical order.
By The Shelf Desk · Published 2026-10-08 · Facts read September 2026, updated 2026-10-11
38 terms
A
- API
- A way for other software to read and write your data in an app. Hardcover documents a public GraphQL API with OAuth, and Literal lists an API for developers. Goodreads stopped issuing new public API keys in December 2020.
- App Store privacy label
- The privacy section on an Apple App Store listing, written by the developer. It groups data into data used to track you, data linked to you and data not linked to you. The privacy section of the reader guide uses these labels.
B
- Barcode scanning
- Adding a book by pointing your phone camera at the barcode on its back cover. The StoryGraph, Goodreads and Literal describe barcode scanning; BookBuddy and Bookly describe ISBN scanning. BookBuddy also works with a Bluetooth scanner.
- Book club
- A group reading the same book on a shared schedule and talking about it. Goodreads, Fable and Literal describe clubs, and The StoryGraph describes book clubs alongside buddy reads.
- Bookmark Credit
- Magic Bookmark's unit of payment: one credit unlocks one book, and credits never expire. magicbookmark.com lists 1 credit for $4.99, 5 for $19.99, 10 for $34.99 and 50 for $69.99.
- Buddy read
- Reading a book alongside one friend or a small group at the same pace. The StoryGraph's buddy reads attach reactions to specific parts of the book so nobody sees past their own place.
C
- Cast list
- A list of the people in a story and how they connect. Keeping one by hand helps with long books (lesson 5); Magic Bookmark shows one for supported titles, limited to what comes before your place.
- Content warning
- A note that a book includes themes some readers want to know about before starting. The StoryGraph lists content warnings.
- CSV export
- A spreadsheet-style file of your books that you can download and open elsewhere. Goodreads' library export is a CSV file that other apps accept; BookBuddy exports CSV, PDF or HTML; The StoryGraph emails a CSV link from Settings.
- Currently reading
- The shelf or status for books you are in the middle of. Most trackers keep it separate from want-to-read and read.
D
- Data linked to you
- On an App Store privacy label, data the developer connects to your identity, such as your account or contact details. Goodreads, The StoryGraph, Literal and BookBuddy list data linked to you without data used to track you.
- Data not linked to you
- On an App Store privacy label, data the developer collects without connecting it to your identity. Hardcover's label says Data Not Linked to You, covering usage data and diagnostics.
- Data used to track you
- On an App Store privacy label, data used to follow you across other companies' apps and websites. The labels for Basmo, Bookly, Fable and Magic Bookmark list identifiers used to track you.
- Did not finish (DNF)
- A status for a book you stopped reading on purpose. The StoryGraph and Hardcover have it, and Goodreads announced a Did Not Finish shelf on March 13, 2026.
F
- Free core app
- An app whose main features cost nothing, with an optional paid tier for extras. The StoryGraph, Hardcover and Fable work this way; Goodreads has no paid tier for tracking.
G
- Goodreads import
- Moving your shelves and history from Goodreads into another app, usually from the Goodreads CSV export. Literal can read a public Goodreads profile directly, and Fable offers an in-app import.
- Google Play data safety
- The privacy section on a Google Play listing, written by the developer. Fable's says data may be shared with third parties.
H
- Highlight
- A passage you mark to keep. Literal captures highlights by camera or typing, Basmo scans highlights from print pages and imports Kindle highlights.
I
- In-app purchase
- Anything bought inside an app after download, such as a subscription, a lifetime upgrade or a pack of credits. App Store listings show in-app purchases with their prices.
- ISBN
- The International Standard Book Number, the identifier printed above most book barcodes. Scanning it lets an app find the exact edition. BookBuddy's ISBN scanning is powered by WorldCat.
K
- Kobo sync
- Rakuten Kobo's link with The StoryGraph: since June 29, 2026, reading progress and finished books from Kobo e-readers and apps flow into a linked StoryGraph account at no extra cost.
L
- Lifetime purchase
- A single payment for paid features with no renewal. BookBuddy Pro is listed as a lifetime purchase at $9.99.
- Loan tracking
- Recording who has borrowed a book you own and when. BookBuddy tracks loans and the shelf location of each copy.
P
- Picking a book back up
- Our card row for a published feature that finds your place after a break. Magic Bookmark is the app on record for it; see lesson 4 for a by-hand method.
- Public-domain book
- A book whose copyright has expired, so it can be shared freely. Literal offers public-domain ebooks and audiobooks in its app.
R
- Readathon
- A set period when readers try to read as much as they can, often together. Bookly runs readathons as part of its community features.
- Reading Challenge
- Goodreads' yearly goal for the number of books you plan to read. Books on the Did Not Finish shelf with a read date count toward it.
- Reading goal
- A target you set, such as books per year or minutes per day. Bookly offers daily, monthly and yearly goals; Fable Plus adds weekly and monthly goals to the free goals.
- Reading journal
- Private notes on what you read and how it felt. Basmo is built around a journal, and The StoryGraph has a private reading journal.
- Reading log
- A record of the books you have read, are reading and want to read. It is the core of a reading tracker; Magic Bookmark is not one.
- Reading speed
- How many pages you read in a set time. Bookly works it out from its reading timer.
S
- Session timer
- A stopwatch in a reading app that logs how long you read in one sitting. Bookly and Basmo are built around session timing.
- Shelf
- A named list of books in a tracker, such as want to read or owned. The StoryGraph turns custom Goodreads shelves into tags when you import.
- Spoiler-aware discussion
- Discussion arranged so you only see comments up to your place in the book. Literal's clubs use sections by chapter; Fable has spoiler-free discussion spaces.
- Streak
- A count of consecutive days you have read. Fable lists goals and streaks among its free features.
- Subscription
- A paid tier that renews monthly or yearly until you cancel. StoryGraph Plus, Hardcover Supporter, Fable Plus, Bookly Pro and Basmo PRO are subscriptions.
U
- Up Next queue
- A short, ordered list of the next few books you plan to read. The StoryGraph has one; lesson 7 explains how to keep one by hand.
W
- Want to read
- The shelf for books you might read one day. It tends to grow long, which is why a short up-next list helps.