Match the report title.
Look for "EPUB exported from DOCX needs checking" or the closest title above. Keep the original EPUBCheck, KDP, or Kindle Previewer wording if it differs.
EPUB error guide
Check an EPUB after DOCX export
Use this after a DOCX, Word, Atticus, Vellum, Reedsy, Kindle Create, or InDesign workflow has already exported an EPUB and you need to check why that EPUB may fail KDP, Kindle Previewer, or EPUBCheck.
Scan when the message does not name the affected path. The report shows affected paths and repair decisions, not manuscript text.
Fixed-layout, DRM, or source-workflow issue? Check unsupported or review-first EPUB cases.
Match these report titles
- EPUB exported from DOCX needs checking
- DOCX to EPUB export validation issue
- KDP failed after ebook export
- Exported EPUB package, TOC, metadata, or link issue
Use this guide when
Your message matches "EPUB exported from DOCX needs checking" or one of the report titles above.
Upload if
You have the exported reflowable .epub and need the affected path, file, field, or repair decision before editing.
Handle outside this tool
Use the source tool or publishing workflow for DOCX, PDF, KPF, KCB, fixed-layout, comics, image-first books, DRM, visual design, or KDP listing and approval problems.
Read the scan report
Decide if this report item matches.
Use the report label, affected file, and repair decision together. A matching title alone is not enough if the file path or EPUB structure points to a different problem.
Check the affected file first.
Use the Affected area, Source file, Target file, or Problem type rows before editing OPF, nav, XHTML, CSS, or image paths.
Follow the repair decision.
Repairable means one clear structural change. Needs review or Not supported means use the named file, source project, or platform step.
Keep with your repair note.
Copy these fields from the report instead of rebuilding the fix from memory.
Source file
Target path or field
Original error
Repair decision
Next step
1. Example report output
What an after-export scan should show.
A useful report should tell you whether to patch the EPUB package or return to the source export settings.
Source workflow
Word / DOCX, Atticus, Vellum, Reedsy, Kindle Create, InDesign, Scrivener, or another formatting tool.
Uploaded file
The exported .epub file, not the original .docx or PDF.
Common output issue
Missing TOC wiring, broken image path, regenerated anchors, wrong OPF identifier, media-type mismatch, or bad ZIP wrapper.
Decision
Repair the EPUB structure only when one clear change is safe; otherwise return to the source project.
The scan is useful because it tells you whether another export is likely to help or whether one packaged EPUB path needs attention.
2. Next step
Choose the next step after export.
Do not keep converting the same DOCX until you know what the exported EPUB is failing.
Upload scan
Use this when you have the exported .epub file.
Scan the output file that KDP, Kindle Previewer, or EPUBCheck rejected.
EPUB repair
Use this when the exported package has one clear wiring problem.
A manifest entry, OPF identifier, navigation declaration, path mismatch, or ZIP wrapper may be fixable if the target is clear.
Source re-export
Use this when the export did not create the right book structure.
Return to the source tool when headings, TOC, anchors, missing images, fixed layout, or visual formatting require author or formatter judgment.
3. Concrete path example
An exported EPUB can fail because one generated anchor disappeared.
The source document may look fine while the EPUB's internal links point to generated ids that no longer exist.
After export: KDP or EPUBCheck reports RSC_012. Report: Source link: OEBPS/nav.xhtml Target file: OEBPS/Text/chapter-02.xhtml Missing fragment: #heading-12 Decision: manual review unless one replacement heading id is clearly the same section
If the source tool regenerates anchors on each export, fix the source heading or TOC workflow instead of hand-editing random ids.
Quick decision
Decide whether to repair the EPUB or fix the source export.
After-export pages should pull in broad DOCX/EPUB searches without pretending this site converts files.
Good fit
You already exported a normal reflowable EPUB.
The scanner can inspect the finished EPUB for KDP, Previewer, and EPUBCheck blockers.
Source fix
The export is missing real content or navigation.
Fix headings, TOC settings, images, notes, or layout in the source tool, then export again.
Not this tool
You need the conversion itself.
Use a DOCX to EPUB, PDF to EPUB, or formatting tool first. EPUB Fixer starts after a .epub exists.
Start here
Export to EPUB first, then check the EPUB package.
This is not a DOCX to EPUB converter. Use it after your source tool has created a .epub file and you want to know whether that exported EPUB has structure problems before another upload.
What it means
The source document is not the same as the EPUB package. After export, the book becomes a set of XHTML, metadata, navigation, manifest, image, CSS, and ZIP files that must still line up.
Can it be fixed automatically?
EPUB Fixer can help when the exported EPUB contains one clear structural mismatch, such as a path case issue, manifest entry, media type, OPF identifier, navigation property, or ZIP wrapper problem that can be changed and checked again.
What to check next
Find the exported .epub file that KDP, Kindle Previewer, or EPUBCheck rejected.
What not to assume
It cannot convert DOCX or PDF files, decide chapter titles, rebuild a missing TOC from visual headings, restore absent images, fix prose or typography, create fixed-layout design, or replace the source formatting workflow.
Common situations
Common after-export EPUB cases.
Start from what changed during the export.
The source headings exist, but Kindle shows no TOC.
The export may have styled headings without creating valid nav.xhtml, toc.ncx, or OPF wiring.
Scan the EPUB to see whether this is a navigation wiring fix or a source TOC rebuild.
Images or CSS moved during export.
The EPUB can reference images, fonts, or stylesheets at old paths after compression or export cleanup.
Repair only if the report shows one clear packaged target; otherwise restore the asset in the source project.
Footnote or chapter anchors changed.
Export tools can regenerate ids used by TOC, footnote, or backlink targets.
Check the target XHTML and source heading/note before adding or renaming ids.
After-export phrases this page can help with
Check EPUB after DOCX to EPUB export: validate the exported .epub for KDP, Kindle Previewer, and EPUBCheck package, TOC, metadata, link, anchor, manifest, and ZIP blockers.
Where after-export EPUB problems show up
An author exports from DOCX, Word, Atticus, Vellum, Reedsy, Kindle Create, InDesign, Scrivener, or another tool, then KDP, Kindle Previewer, or EPUBCheck rejects the exported EPUB.
What it means
A clean-looking export can still leave strict EPUB structure problems.
The source document is not the same as the EPUB package. After export, the book becomes a set of XHTML, metadata, navigation, manifest, image, CSS, and ZIP files that must still line up.
Common after-export problems include missing navigation declarations, regenerated anchor ids, stale image or stylesheet paths, missing manifest entries, wrong media types, OPF identifier mismatches, container.xml path mistakes, and EPUB ZIP packaging issues.
Before you edit
Check the exported EPUB before changing the DOCX again.
The report can show whether the failed upload is caused by package wiring, navigation, metadata, links, anchors, images, CSS, manifest entries, or ZIP structure. That is more useful than blindly re-exporting the same source file.
- 1Find the exported .epub file that KDP, Kindle Previewer, or EPUBCheck rejected.
- 2Keep the original source project, such as DOCX, Atticus, Vellum, Reedsy, Kindle Create, InDesign, or Scrivener, so you can re-export if needed.
- 3Scan the EPUB and check whether the report points to navigation, metadata, links, anchors, images, CSS, manifest, media type, container.xml, or ZIP packaging.
- 4Repair inside the EPUB only when the report shows one clear structural mismatch and the fixed file passes EPUBCheck again.
- 5Return to the source tool when the scan shows missing assets, unclear chapter order, regenerated anchors, or no trustworthy navigation source.
- 6Do not upload DOCX, PDF, KPF, KCB, or fixed-layout files to this scanner.
Why KDP checks it
Why exported EPUB files still need validation.
KDP eBook file formats
KDP supports EPUB files that meet Kindle Publishing Guidelines and recommends checking the file with Kindle Previewer before upload.
EPUBCheck
EPUBCheck checks EPUB 2 and EPUB 3 files against the official rules and reports package, markup, link, and file-reference problems.
EPUB 3.3 package rules
The OPF file is the EPUB's map: metadata, file list, reading order, and navigation wiring. KDP and EPUBCheck use it to decide whether the book package is coherent.
Can this be fixed safely?
When an after-export issue can be repaired here.
When automatic repair is safe
EPUB Fixer can help when the exported EPUB contains one clear structural mismatch, such as a path case issue, manifest entry, media type, OPF identifier, navigation property, or ZIP wrapper problem that can be changed and checked again.
When you need manual review
It cannot convert DOCX or PDF files, decide chapter titles, rebuild a missing TOC from visual headings, restore absent images, fix prose or typography, create fixed-layout design, or replace the source formatting workflow.
Before / after example
Before: the exported EPUB contains nav.xhtml, but content.opf does not mark it as the navigation document. After: the OPF manifest can be aligned and checked again. Before: the exported EPUB has no reliable TOC or missing image files; fix the source project and export again.
Ready to retry?
Upload the exported EPUB, not the DOCX.
Choose the .epub file that came out of your source workflow. The report will show whether the issue is fixable in EPUB structure or needs a source-tool export change.
Upload EPUB to scanFAQ
Questions authors ask after DOCX to EPUB export.
Can EPUB Fixer convert DOCX to EPUB?
No. Export or convert your manuscript with a source tool first. EPUB Fixer checks the .epub file after export.
Why check the EPUB after exporting from Word or another tool?
Export can create package, TOC, metadata, link, anchor, manifest, media-type, or ZIP problems that are not visible in the source document.
Should I edit the EPUB or re-export from the source tool?
Use the report decision. A clear OPF, manifest, path, navigation, or ZIP mismatch may be repairable. Missing content, unclear TOC, headings, images, or layout should be fixed in the source tool.
Does this work for fixed-layout books or image-heavy books?
No. Fixed-layout, comic, manga, picture-book, and image-first EPUBs are outside the current scanner because safe repair often depends on visual layout decisions.