Rakuten Kobo has activated its integration with StoryGraph, allowing readers to automatically update their book progress without logging it manually. Kobo is the first e-reader provider to offer native syncing with the independent book-tracking platform.
The feature, first announced in May, is now available for content linked to a Kobo account. It works across Kobo e-readers and mobile apps, covering both e-books and audiobooks.
When readers open a book, it can appear on their “Currently Reading” shelf in StoryGraph. Progress is shared as a percentage, and completed titles are automatically marked as “Read,” keeping reading histories and statistics current.
Readers Can Connect Their Accounts for Free
Users can activate the feature through their Kobo account settings by selecting Integrations and connecting a StoryGraph account. The companies said in their official announcement that the connection does not require a paid subscription.
Readers can switch the integration off at any time or manually adjust information inside StoryGraph. Kobo’s support page notes that highlights, notes and changes synced back from StoryGraph to Kobo are not supported.
The integration gives Kobo readers access to StoryGraph features such as personalized recommendations, book clubs, reading challenges and streaks. The platform also provides charts covering reading pace, moods, formats, genres and other habits.
StoryGraph offers most of its tracking tools for free. Its optional Plus plan costs $5 per month and adds expanded statistics, filters, custom charts and book-comparison tools.
StoryGraph Reaches Kobo’s International Audience
Engineer Nadia Odunayo founded StoryGraph with chief technology officer Rob Frelow in 2019. The independently funded company has since grown to more than five million readers.
Kobo operates in 190 countries and has about 12 million users, giving StoryGraph access to a larger international audience. The integration also addresses a limitation faced by several Goodreads alternatives, which have not been able to receive reading activity directly from major e-readers.
Amazon combines its Kindle devices with Goodreads, allowing reading updates to remain within the same corporate ecosystem. Kobo’s partnership gives its customers a similar automated tracking option through a service that is not owned by Amazon.
Interest in digital reading has increased over the past decade. Pew Research Center found that 31% of U.S. adults had read an e-book during the previous year, compared with 17% in 2011.
Featured image credits: Raymond Snijders via Flickr
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