Match the report title.
Look for "KDP ebook formatting error" or the closest title above. Keep the original EPUBCheck, KDP, or Kindle Previewer wording if it differs.
EPUB error guide
KDP ebook formatting errors
Use this when KDP or Kindle Previewer says your ebook file has formatting, table of contents, navigation, metadata, link, or upload validation problems after export.
You see
KDP says the ebook formatting failed.
Upload only if the failed manuscript file is a reflowable EPUB and the problem may be TOC, metadata, links, manifest, or package structure.
You get
A KDP-focused EPUB structure report.
The report names the affected EPUB path, keeps the original error line, and separates checked repair from formatter review.
Do not upload
KDP account, listing, cover, or paperback issues.
Pricing, categories, cover PDF, paperback trim, source conversion, and KDP review status are outside this scan.
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
- KDP ebook formatting error
- KDP EPUB upload failed
- Kindle Previewer validation error
- Missing TOC, broken link, metadata, or package issue
Use this guide when
Your message matches "KDP ebook formatting error" 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 the KDP-focused report should show.
A useful report should translate the broad KDP symptom into the EPUB part that needs attention.
KDP symptom
Upload failed, Kindle Previewer validation error, missing table of contents, or broken internal link.
EPUB area
content.opf, nav.xhtml, toc.ncx, chapter XHTML, CSS, image path, anchor, manifest item, or ZIP wrapper.
Repair boundary
Safe structure repair, manual source review, or unsupported source workflow.
Next retry
Only retry KDP after the blocker is fixed or a checked repaired EPUB is available.
The report should keep you from guessing whether this is a KDP setting, a formatting-tool export issue, or an EPUB package problem.
2. Next step
Choose the next step from the KDP symptom.
The right path depends on whether KDP is reacting to EPUB structure, source formatting, or account/listing workflow.
Upload scan
Use this when the exported file is an EPUB.
Scan the EPUB if the issue mentions Kindle Previewer, EPUB validation, TOC, metadata, package, links, anchors, images, or missing files.
Source tool
Use this when the EPUB has no reliable source structure.
Return to Word, Atticus, Vellum, InDesign, Kindle Create, Sigil, or another editor when headings, TOC, fixed-layout pages, or missing content need author judgment.
KDP workflow
Use this when the issue is not in the EPUB file.
Pricing, categories, cover PDF, bleed, barcode, account, tax, review, and listing problems are not solved by scanning the EPUB.
3. Concrete path example
A KDP formatting symptom can map to a specific EPUB path.
The useful step is finding the EPUB path behind the KDP wording.
KDP symptom: The ebook table of contents is missing in Previewer. Report: Found: OEBPS/nav.xhtml Problem: content.opf lists nav.xhtml without properties="nav" Decision: safe repair if nav.xhtml is the intended table of contents Next: repair OPF wiring, validate again, then retry KDP
If no reliable nav.xhtml or toc.ncx exists, rebuild the TOC in the source tool instead of guessing from headings.
Quick decision
Decide whether KDP is pointing at the EPUB file.
This page should catch broader KDP searches without pretending every KDP issue is fixable here.
Good fit
KDP or Previewer rejected an exported EPUB.
The scanner can inspect package, metadata, TOC, navigation, manifest, broken link, anchor, and ZIP issues in that EPUB.
Manual fit
The EPUB opens but navigation or links are wrong.
The report can still name the affected path, but the final fix may belong in the source tool or EPUB editor.
Not this tool
The problem is cover, listing, account, or source conversion.
Use KDP settings, cover tools, or the source formatting workflow instead of uploading the EPUB here.
Start here
Separate KDP formatting symptoms from EPUB structure errors.
KDP formatting problems can mean many things. This scanner helps when the failing file is an EPUB and the problem lives in package structure, table of contents wiring, metadata, links, anchors, manifest entries, or ZIP packaging.
What it means
A KDP formatting error is not always a visual design problem. When the manuscript file is an EPUB, the blocker can be a structural mismatch inside the package.
Can it be fixed automatically?
EPUB Fixer can help when the exported EPUB has one clear package, metadata, navigation, manifest, link, anchor, media-type, or ZIP correction that can be validated again after repair.
What to check next
Confirm the file that failed KDP is an EPUB manuscript file.
What not to assume
It does not solve KDP account settings, cover PDF size, paperback bleed, barcode, categories, pricing, review status, source manuscript design, typography, fixed-layout design, or conversion from DOCX/PDF/KPF/KCB.
Common situations
Common KDP ebook formatting situations.
Start from the KDP screen or Previewer message you already have.
KDP upload failed after EPUB export.
The file may have strict EPUBCheck blockers even if it opens in a reader.
Scan the EPUB and compare the report with the KDP or Previewer message.
Kindle Previewer shows a missing or broken table of contents.
The chapters can exist while the EPUB navigation layer is disconnected.
Check nav.xhtml, toc.ncx, content.opf, and spine wiring before rebuilding the book.
The EPUB opens locally but KDP still rejects it.
Local readers often tolerate missing images, stale paths, or broken anchors.
Use the report to locate the strict validation blocker before another upload attempt.
KDP formatting phrases this page can help with
KDP ebook formatting error: EPUB upload, Kindle Previewer, table of contents, metadata, package, link, anchor, manifest, or EPUBCheck problem after export.
Where KDP ebook formatting errors show up
KDP upload or Kindle Previewer reports a formatting, validation, table of contents, navigation, metadata, missing file, broken link, or package error for an EPUB manuscript file.
What it means
The visible formatting symptom may come from a package-level EPUB problem.
A KDP formatting error is not always a visual design problem. When the manuscript file is an EPUB, the blocker can be a structural mismatch inside the package.
Common causes include missing TOC wiring, stale nav.xhtml or toc.ncx links, OPF metadata identifiers that do not line up, missing manifest entries, media-type mismatches, broken image or chapter paths, missing anchors, and EPUB ZIP packaging mistakes.
Before you edit
Check the exported EPUB before reformatting the whole book.
Do not rebuild the book just because KDP says formatting failed. First find whether the exported EPUB has a structural blocker that can be fixed or clearly handed back to the source tool.
- 1Confirm the file that failed KDP is an EPUB manuscript file.
- 2Save the exact KDP or Kindle Previewer wording before making another export.
- 3Scan the EPUB and check whether the report names package, metadata, navigation, links, anchors, manifest, media type, or ZIP packaging.
- 4If the report marks a checked repair, download only after the second EPUBCheck pass is available.
- 5If the report marks manual review, open the named OPF, nav, NCX, XHTML, CSS, or image path before changing the source project.
- 6If the problem is cover, account, listing, review, pricing, paperback, or source conversion, do not treat it as an EPUB structure repair.
Why KDP checks it
Why KDP and Kindle Previewer check EPUB structure.
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 a KDP formatting issue can be repaired here.
When automatic repair is safe
EPUB Fixer can help when the exported EPUB has one clear package, metadata, navigation, manifest, link, anchor, media-type, or ZIP correction that can be validated again after repair.
When you need manual review
It does not solve KDP account settings, cover PDF size, paperback bleed, barcode, categories, pricing, review status, source manuscript design, typography, fixed-layout design, or conversion from DOCX/PDF/KPF/KCB.
Before / after example
Before: KDP says the table of contents is missing, and the report shows nav.xhtml exists but is not declared as the EPUB navigation file. After: the OPF nav declaration can be aligned and checked again. Before: the source file never exported a real TOC; rebuild it in the source tool.
Ready to retry?
Scan the EPUB behind the KDP formatting error.
Upload the same EPUB you planned to retry. The report will show whether the issue is a checked repair, a manual EPUB editor task, or outside this scanner.
Upload EPUB to scanFAQ
Questions authors ask about KDP ebook formatting errors.
Can EPUB Fixer fix KDP ebook formatting errors?
Only the EPUB structure part. It can inspect and sometimes repair package, metadata, navigation, link, anchor, manifest, media-type, or ZIP blockers. It does not redesign the book or change KDP settings.
Why does Kindle Previewer fail if the EPUB opens in another reader?
Kindle Previewer and EPUBCheck are stricter about package paths, metadata, navigation, and missing resources. A reader can skip a broken asset while KDP rejects the manuscript.
Should I re-export from Word, Atticus, Vellum, or InDesign first?
If the current EPUB already failed KDP, scan it first when possible. The report can tell you whether a small EPUB structure fix is enough or whether you should return to the source tool.
Does this page cover cover PDF or paperback formatting?
No. This page is for EPUB manuscript upload and Previewer problems. Cover PDF, paperback trim, bleed, spine, and barcode problems are outside this scanner.