Match the report title.
Look for "EPUB missing nav document" or the closest title above. Keep the original EPUBCheck, KDP, or Kindle Previewer wording if it differs.
EPUB error guide
EPUB missing nav document
Use this when EPUBCheck, KDP, or Kindle Previewer says the EPUB navigation document is missing. Check nav.xhtml, the OPF manifest, and the spine before rebuilding the TOC.
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 missing nav document
- nav.xhtml is missing from the EPUB
- Missing EPUB 3 navigation document
- KDP missing navigation document
Use this guide when
Your message matches "EPUB missing nav document" 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 a missing nav document report should show.
The report should distinguish a missing file from a file that exists but is not declared.
Validator message
The EPUB 3 navigation document is missing.
Affected area
content.opf manifest and nav.xhtml path.
EPUB Fixer report
No manifest item has properties="nav" and no nav.xhtml file is packaged.
Do this next
Regenerate navigation only when the chapter structure is clear.
Do not do this
Do not create a table of contents from random file order or decorative headings.
Safe repair depends on whether the book has a clear chapter structure or an existing nav file under a wrong path.
2. Next step
Decide whether nav.xhtml is missing or only disconnected.
Those two cases need different fixes.
Scan first
Search for nav files.
Check whether nav.xhtml exists under a different folder, name, or case.
Safe repair
A nav file exists but is disconnected.
Declare or reconnect the existing nav file when it is clearly the intended navigation document.
Manual review
No reliable navigation exists.
Return to the source tool when the TOC needs chapter-title or hierarchy choices.
3. Concrete path example
A typical missing nav.xhtml failure.
The OPF points to no EPUB 3 navigation document.
Validator: EPUB 3 navigation document is missing. Report: content.opf manifest properties="nav": not found Packaged nav.xhtml: not found toc.ncx: present Fix decision: manual review unless a valid nav can be generated from clear headings After: add nav document only when source structure is clear
If only toc.ncx exists, do not assume it is enough for EPUB 3 platform expectations.
Quick decision
Do not generate a TOC when the chapter structure is unclear.
A navigation document is user-facing, so wrong entries can make the book harder to use even if validation passes.
Scan first
Find existing navigation files.
Search for nav.xhtml, toc.ncx, and OPF manifest properties before editing.
Safe fix
The intended nav is present.
Reconnect or declare the navigation file when the target is obvious.
Stop
The TOC needs author choices.
Do not guess titles, hierarchy, or chapter boundaries from weak file names.
Start here
Check whether the navigation file exists before rebuilding the TOC.
EPUB 3 uses a navigation document, often nav.xhtml, so reading systems can expose the table of contents. A missing nav file can make KDP reject a book even when chapters exist.
What it means
The EPUB does not expose the navigation file that tells readers and publishing systems where the table of contents lives.
Can it be fixed automatically?
It can be repaired when a valid navigation file already exists or when a minimal nav can be generated from one clear chapter structure.
What to check next
Search the EPUB for nav.xhtml or another XHTML file that contains epub:type="toc".
What not to assume
It is unsafe when headings, chapter titles, hierarchy, or reading order need author judgment.
Common situations
Common missing nav document cases.
Missing nav errors often follow export, cleanup, or EPUB 2 to EPUB 3 conversion.
nav.xhtml was removed during cleanup.
The OPF and chapters remain, but the navigation file is gone.
Regenerate from the source project when the original nav is not recoverable.
nav.xhtml exists under another path.
The file may be present but not declared as the EPUB navigation document.
Reconnect it only when its contents are clearly the book TOC.
Only toc.ncx exists.
An older EPUB 2 navigation file may not satisfy EPUB 3 expectations.
Create EPUB 3 nav only from clear structure.
KDP says the TOC is missing.
The visible issue may be missing nav.xhtml rather than missing chapters.
Scan OPF and navigation wiring before rebuilding the book.
Missing nav document error text
EPUB navigation document is missing / nav.xhtml is missing.
Where missing nav.xhtml errors appear
KDP, Kindle Previewer, or EPUBCheck cannot find an EPUB 3 navigation document in the package.
What it means
The EPUB 3 navigation file is absent or no longer packaged.
The EPUB does not expose the navigation file that tells readers and publishing systems where the table of contents lives.
The nav file may be missing, removed from the OPF manifest, named differently, or never generated by the export tool.
Before you edit
Check nav.xhtml, manifest, and TOC links together.
A safe fix needs either one real navigation file or a clear source structure to regenerate from. Do not invent TOC entries from weak headings.
- 1Search the EPUB for nav.xhtml or another XHTML file that contains epub:type="toc".
- 2Open content.opf and check for a manifest item with properties="nav".
- 3Compare nav links with actual chapter files and anchors.
- 4Check whether toc.ncx is present but the EPUB 3 nav is missing.
- 5Stop if the book's chapter hierarchy cannot be determined from package evidence.
Why KDP checks it
Why KDP checks the EPUB navigation document.
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.
EPUBCheck
EPUBCheck checks EPUB 2 and EPUB 3 files against the official rules and reports package, markup, link, and file-reference problems.
KDP eBook file formats
KDP supports EPUB files that meet Kindle Publishing Guidelines and recommends checking the file with Kindle Previewer before upload.
Can this be fixed safely?
When a missing nav document can be repaired safely.
When automatic repair is safe
It can be repaired when a valid navigation file already exists or when a minimal nav can be generated from one clear chapter structure.
When you need manual review
It is unsafe when headings, chapter titles, hierarchy, or reading order need author judgment.
Before / after example
Before: no nav document is declared or packaged. After: a valid nav is connected only when the intended TOC structure is clear.
Ready to retry?
Scan the EPUB before rebuilding nav.xhtml.
Upload the EPUB that failed. The report should show whether nav.xhtml is missing, undeclared, or present under another path.
Upload EPUB to scanFAQ
Questions authors ask about missing nav.xhtml.
What is nav.xhtml in an EPUB?
It is the EPUB 3 navigation document. It usually contains the table of contents that reading systems and publishing platforms use.
Can EPUB Fixer create a missing nav.xhtml?
Only when the package already shows a clear chapter order and TOC structure. Otherwise the right fix belongs in the source tool.
Is toc.ncx enough if nav.xhtml is missing?
Not always. toc.ncx is the older EPUB 2 navigation file, while EPUB 3 expects a navigation document declared in the OPF manifest.
Why does KDP say the TOC is missing if chapters exist?
Chapters can exist as files while the EPUB navigation layer is missing or disconnected from the package.