Match the report title.
Look for "EPUB 3 nav item is missing properties="nav"" or the closest title above. Keep the original EPUBCheck, KDP, or Kindle Previewer wording if it differs.
EPUB error guide
KDP EPUB TOC errors: nav.xhtml, NCX, and Kindle Go To
Use this when KDP or Kindle Previewer cannot find the TOC or Go To menu, or EPUBCheck names nav.xhtml, NCX_002, OPF_050, NCX docTitle, spine toc, or page-list.
Your problem
KDP, Previewer, or EPUBCheck cannot use the navigation.
Upload when the message names nav.xhtml, toc.ncx, NCX_002, OPF_050, NCX docTitle, page-list, spine toc, Kindle Go To, or a missing table of contents.
What the scan checks
The TOC files, page markers, and content.opf together.
The report checks declarations, spine toc wiring, NCX title, page-list, and whether navigation targets reach files in the reading order.
Stop if
The EPUB has no reliable TOC.
Do not let a scan choose the chapter order, headings, or TOC titles when the source navigation is missing or unclear.
Scan when the message does not name the affected path. The report shows affected paths and repair decisions, not manuscript text.
No signup before the scan report.Checks EPUB package paths, not manuscript text.Repair download only after EPUBCheck passes again.
Need fixed-layout, DRM, or source-file help? Check unsupported or review-first EPUB cases.
Match these report titles
- EPUB 3 nav item is missing properties="nav"
- NCX_002 spine toc attribute was not found
- OPF_050 spine toc does not point to an NCX
- EPUB 2 NCX is not linked from the spine toc attribute
- NCX docTitle element is missing
- NAV_003 navigation document is missing a page-list
- EPUB page-list is missing from nav.xhtml
- spine toc missing EPUB
- ncx not in spine
- TOC target is not a spine item
- Kindle Go To menu missing
- KDP EPUB missing table of contents
Use this guide when
Your message matches "EPUB 3 nav item is missing properties="nav"" 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.
A useful report does not stop at the error name. It connects the message to an internal file and a next action.
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 the scanner checks.
The report should separate missing navigation files from broken OPF wiring and broken TOC targets.
nav.xhtml
The EPUB 3 table of contents file.
toc.ncx
The older EPUB 2 navigation file.
OPF manifest
The file list inside content.opf, including whether nav.xhtml has properties="nav".
Spine
The reading order Kindle follows and the place that can point to an NCX file.
Page list
The optional nav.xhtml list built from explicit pagebreak markers, not guessed page numbers.
Report may show
nav.xhtml exists, but content.opf does not declare it as the nav item.
A wiring repair can be safe when one navigation source is clear. A flat nav or NCX can be generated only when the spine order and every page title are already unambiguous; a page-list can be added only from explicit page markers.
2. Next step
Choose scan, wiring repair, or source TOC rebuild.
The next step depends on whether the EPUB already has a trustworthy navigation source.
Upload scan
KDP only says the TOC is missing.
Use the report to check nav.xhtml, toc.ncx, content.opf, spine toc wiring, and TOC link targets in one pass.
Repair
The package already proves the intended navigation.
Repair the OPF nav declaration, spine toc value, NCX docTitle, page-list, or one target that differs only by case or URL encoding. Generate a flat nav or NCX only when every spine page has one clear title.
Manual review
The TOC source or reading order is unclear.
Return to the source tool or EPUB editor when chapter order, TOC titles, fixed-layout pages, or missing navigation files require editorial judgment.
3. Concrete path example
A TOC wiring report should name the navigation layer.
The same KDP symptom can come from nav.xhtml, toc.ncx, or the OPF spine.
Example symptom: Table of contents is missing in Kindle Previewer. Report: Found: OEBPS/nav.xhtml OPF manifest: nav.xhtml exists but is missing the nav property token Spine: chapter order is present Fix decision: safe repair if nav.xhtml is the intended EPUB 3 TOC
If no trustworthy nav.xhtml or toc.ncx exists, rebuild the TOC in the source tool or EPUB editor instead of generating one from guessed headings.
Quick decision
Decide whether this is wiring or a missing source TOC.
A navigation file that exists but is not declared is different from an EPUB that never exported a real table of contents.
Scan first
The KDP message is broad.
Use the report to identify whether nav.xhtml, toc.ncx, OPF manifest, spine, or TOC link targets are involved.
Safe fix
The navigation source or generation inputs are clear.
Align the nav property, NCX spine pointer, docTitle, page-list, or a target that differs only by case or URL encoding. Generate a flat nav or NCX only from the existing spine order and unambiguous page titles.
Stop
The EPUB lacks a reliable TOC source.
Do not generate a TOC, choose chapter titles, or reorder chapters from a scan report.
Start here
Check nav.xhtml, toc.ncx, and content.opf before rebuilding the TOC.
KDP can say the table of contents is missing even when the chapters are still there. Upload the EPUB to see whether nav.xhtml, toc.ncx, content.opf, page markers, and the reading order agree.
What it means
The EPUB package is not exposing a valid navigation map. OPF manifest means the file list inside content.opf; nav.xhtml is the EPUB 3 table of contents file; toc.ncx is the older EPUB 2 navigation file; spine is the reading order Kindle follows.
Can it be fixed automatically?
A checked repair is possible when one nav.xhtml or toc.ncx is clear, one OPF title can supply NCX docTitle, explicit page markers can supply page-list, or the existing spine order and page titles can generate one flat navigation file without guessing hierarchy.
What to check next
Look for nav.xhtml first in EPUB 3 files and toc.ncx in older EPUB 2 files.
What not to assume
It stops for manual review when the chapter order, TOC titles, target anchors, fixed-layout pages, or missing navigation source require someone to decide what the table of contents should be.
Common situations
Common TOC/navigation cases.
Start with the navigation file Kindle should use.
nav.xhtml exists but is not declared as nav.
content.opf lists the file as XHTML but does not mark it with properties="nav".
Add the nav property only when that file is the intended EPUB 3 table of contents.
toc.ncx exists but the spine does not point to it.
Older EPUBs can include an NCX file that Kindle ignores because the OPF spine has no toc value.
Set the spine toc value only when the NCX navPoint targets are valid.
The NCX docTitle element is missing.
The EPUB 2 navigation file has no book title even though content.opf may already contain one clear dc:title.
Copy the OPF title only when one title is present; otherwise choose the real title manually.
NAV_003 says nav.xhtml has no page-list.
The EPUB already marks printed page locations, but the navigation document does not expose them as a page list.
Add page-list only when every page marker has one unique location and label.
A TOC entry points outside the reading order.
A nav or NCX entry can point to a file that is not part of the OPF spine.
Confirm whether the target should be in the reading order or removed from navigation.
TOC, nav.xhtml, and NCX messages to compare
EPUB TOC/navigation issue: nav.xhtml, toc.ncx, NCX_002, OPF_050, NCX docTitle, page-list, OPF manifest, spine, or TOC targets are missing or disconnected.
Where TOC and navigation problems appear
KDP, Kindle Previewer, or EPUBCheck reports missing table of contents, missing nav property, disconnected NCX, missing NCX docTitle, NAV_003 page-list, navigation target errors, or an invalid reading-order target.
What it means
The EPUB may have chapters, but Kindle cannot find a valid navigation map.
The EPUB package is not exposing a valid navigation map. OPF manifest means the file list inside content.opf; nav.xhtml is the EPUB 3 table of contents file; toc.ncx is the older EPUB 2 navigation file; spine is the reading order Kindle follows.
Common causes include nav.xhtml missing properties="nav", toc.ncx not connected from the spine, missing NCX docTitle, explicit page markers without a page-list, TOC entries pointing to old paths or anchors, and exports that never created a reliable navigation file.
Before you edit
Check nav.xhtml, toc.ncx, content.opf, and the spine together.
nav.xhtml is the EPUB 3 table of contents file. toc.ncx is the older EPUB 2 navigation file. The spine is the reading order Kindle follows.
- 1Look for nav.xhtml first in EPUB 3 files and toc.ncx in older EPUB 2 files.
- 2Open content.opf and check whether nav.xhtml is in the manifest with properties="nav".
- 3For EPUB 2, check whether the OPF spine has a toc value pointing to the NCX manifest id.
- 4Check whether toc.ncx has a docTitle that matches the one clear OPF dc:title value.
- 5If EPUBCheck reports NAV_003, confirm that explicit pagebreak markers provide one unique target and label for each page-list entry.
- 6Open several TOC entries and confirm they point to real chapter files and anchors.
- 7Compare the TOC order with the OPF spine order before changing links or reading order.
Why KDP checks it
Why Kindle checks navigation wiring.
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.
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 TOC/navigation repair is safe.
When automatic repair is safe
A checked repair is possible when one nav.xhtml or toc.ncx is clear, one OPF title can supply NCX docTitle, explicit page markers can supply page-list, or the existing spine order and page titles can generate one flat navigation file without guessing hierarchy.
When you need manual review
It stops for manual review when the chapter order, TOC titles, target anchors, fixed-layout pages, or missing navigation source require someone to decide what the table of contents should be.
Before / after example
Before: nav.xhtml exists but content.opf does not declare properties="nav". After: connect that file and validate again. Before: nav.xhtml lacks page-list but every printed page has one explicit marker. After: add only those observed page links. If titles or order are unclear, rebuild navigation in the source tool.
Ready to retry?
Scan the EPUB for TOC and navigation wiring.
The scan checks whether navigation files exist, whether content.opf declares them correctly, whether the spine points to toc.ncx, whether NCX has docTitle, whether explicit page markers need a page-list, and whether TOC links land on real spine items.
Upload EPUB to scanFAQ
Questions authors ask about TOC, nav.xhtml, and NCX errors.
Can EPUB Fixer generate a missing table of contents?
Only in a narrow case: the existing OPF spine must already provide one clear reading order and every reading-order page must have one unambiguous title. The generated result is a flat nav or NCX, not an invented hierarchy. Otherwise rebuild the TOC in the source tool.
What is nav.xhtml?
nav.xhtml is the EPUB 3 table of contents file. Kindle can ignore it when content.opf does not declare it with properties="nav".
What is toc.ncx?
toc.ncx is the older EPUB 2 navigation file. It may need to be connected from the OPF spine with the correct toc value.
What does NCX_002 spine toc missing mean?
It usually means an EPUB 2 NCX file exists or is expected, but the OPF spine does not point to the NCX manifest id with a toc value. Check content.opf and toc.ncx together before rebuilding the TOC.
What does OPF_050 spine toc error mean?
The OPF spine toc value does not point to a valid NCX manifest item. Align it only when one NCX file clearly belongs to the EPUB 2 navigation layer.
Can it add a missing NCX docTitle?
Only when content.opf already contains one clear dc:title value. If the package has no title or several competing titles, choose the real book title manually.
What does NAV_003 missing page-list mean?
The EPUB contains pagebreak markers but nav.xhtml does not expose them as a page list. A checked repair is possible only when those markers provide unique page locations and labels without guessing pagination.
What does spine toc missing EPUB usually mean?
It usually means toc.ncx exists, but content.opf does not connect the spine toc attribute to the right NCX manifest id. Start with the OPF spine and toc.ncx wiring before rebuilding the TOC.
Does this entry hide other errors?
No. It focuses the result on TOC and navigation by default, but package, manifest, fatal, broken-link, and unsupported issues still remain visible.