Match the report title.
Look for "Kindle Previewer failed" or the closest title above. Keep the original EPUBCheck, KDP, or Kindle Previewer wording if it differs.
EPUB error guide
Kindle Previewer failed
Use this when Kindle Previewer fails, conversion fails, enhanced typesetting cannot continue, or the preview step reports EPUB validation, TOC, metadata, link, or package problems.
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
- Kindle Previewer failed
- Kindle Previewer conversion failed
- Enhanced typesetting failed
- Kindle Previewer EPUB validation error
Use this guide when
Your message matches "Kindle Previewer failed" 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 Previewer failure report should show.
A useful report should turn the Previewer symptom into a specific EPUB check.
Previewer wording
Conversion failed, validation error, missing TOC, enhanced typesetting failed, or upload could not process.
EPUB area
Package metadata, nav.xhtml, toc.ncx, OPF manifest, XHTML link, CSS path, image path, anchor, or ZIP wrapper.
Related EPUBCheck
RSC, OPF, NCX, or PKG messages if the same file is checked with EPUBCheck.
Decision
Checked repair, manual EPUB editor/source review, or unsupported.
The report should tell you whether another Previewer retry is worth doing or whether the source export needs work first.
2. Next step
Choose the next step from the Previewer failure.
The same Previewer message can map to different EPUB layers.
Upload scan
Use this when Previewer fails on an EPUB.
Scan the exact EPUB that failed so the report can locate the package, metadata, navigation, link, or ZIP blocker.
Checked repair
Use this when one structure fix is clear.
After repair, reopen the fixed EPUB in Kindle Previewer only after it passes EPUBCheck again.
Source review
Use this when formatting or layout is actually wrong.
Return to the source tool when the failure depends on visual layout, missing content, fixed-layout design, or reader presentation.
3. Concrete path example
A Previewer failure can hide a TOC wiring issue.
The visible Previewer symptom may not name content.opf, but the package path still matters.
Previewer: Conversion failed. Check the EPUB for errors. Report: Found: OEBPS/nav.xhtml Problem: nav.xhtml is not marked with properties="nav" in content.opf Decision: repair only if nav.xhtml is the intended EPUB 3 table of contents Next: run EPUBCheck again, then reopen in Kindle Previewer
If Previewer fails because the book layout itself is wrong, fix the source workflow rather than patching package files.
Quick decision
Decide whether Previewer failed on structure or presentation.
This page should catch broad Previewer searches while keeping the repair boundary clear.
Good fit
Previewer failed while processing an EPUB.
The scanner can inspect structure blockers that often cause conversion or validation failures.
Manual fit
Previewer shows broken TOC, links, or layout after conversion.
The report can locate structure issues, but source formatting or layout may still need manual work.
Not this tool
Previewer failed for KPF, DOCX, PDF, cover, account, or service problems.
Use Kindle Create, source export, KDP support, or the relevant workflow instead.
Start here
Save the Previewer wording before re-exporting.
Kindle Previewer can fail for broad reasons. If the file is an EPUB, scan the same EPUB to see whether the failure maps to package structure, TOC/navigation, metadata, links, anchors, manifest, or ZIP packaging.
What it means
Kindle Previewer converts and checks the manuscript before KDP publication. When the input is EPUB, failures can come from strict EPUB package problems.
Can it be fixed automatically?
EPUB Fixer can help when the Previewer failure maps to one clear EPUB structure fix that can be checked with EPUBCheck again before another Previewer run.
What to check next
Save the exact Kindle Previewer message before re-exporting.
What not to assume
It cannot solve Kindle Create bugs, KPF issues, DOCX/PDF import behavior, account problems, cover workflow, fixed-layout design, or visual formatting decisions.
Common situations
Common Kindle Previewer failure cases.
Start from the failure wording and whether the input file is a reflowable EPUB.
Previewer says conversion failed.
The failure may come from a package, metadata, navigation, link, or ZIP blocker.
Scan the EPUB and use the first affected path before another export.
Previewer opens but the TOC or Go To menu is broken.
The EPUB may have chapter files but disconnected nav.xhtml, toc.ncx, or OPF spine wiring.
Check the navigation layer before rebuilding the whole book.
Previewer reports EPUB validation errors.
The wording may differ from raw EPUBCheck, but the same internal path can be involved.
Keep the Previewer message and compare it with the scan report.
Kindle Previewer failed phrases this page can help with
Kindle Previewer failed: conversion failed, enhanced typesetting failed, EPUB validation error, missing TOC, metadata, package, link, anchor, manifest, or ZIP blocker.
Where Kindle Previewer failures appear
Kindle Previewer cannot process an EPUB, reports conversion failure, shows validation errors, misses the table of contents, or fails before a KDP upload retry.
What it means
Previewer failures can come from EPUB structure, not only visual formatting.
Kindle Previewer converts and checks the manuscript before KDP publication. When the input is EPUB, failures can come from strict EPUB package problems.
Common causes include broken navigation, missing TOC wiring, wrong OPF metadata, missing manifest entries, stale links, missing anchors, missing images, wrong media types, container.xml problems, and bad ZIP packaging.
Before you edit
Check the EPUB package behind the Previewer error.
Do not keep exporting the book blindly. First find whether the Previewer failure has an EPUBCheck-style blocker or a named package path.
- 1Save the exact Kindle Previewer message before re-exporting.
- 2Confirm the failing input is a reflowable EPUB file.
- 3Scan the EPUB and check whether the report names package, metadata, navigation, link, anchor, manifest, media type, container, or ZIP issues.
- 4If a repaired EPUB is produced, open it in Kindle Previewer only after it passes EPUBCheck again.
- 5Return to the source workflow when the issue is visual layout, missing content, fixed-layout design, or file conversion.
- 6Do not treat KPF, DOCX, PDF, cover, paperback, or account problems as EPUB structure repair.
Why KDP checks it
Why Previewer and EPUBCheck overlap.
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 Previewer failure can be repaired here.
When automatic repair is safe
EPUB Fixer can help when the Previewer failure maps to one clear EPUB structure fix that can be checked with EPUBCheck again before another Previewer run.
When you need manual review
It cannot solve Kindle Create bugs, KPF issues, DOCX/PDF import behavior, account problems, cover workflow, fixed-layout design, or visual formatting decisions.
Before / after example
Before: Previewer conversion fails and the scan finds nav.xhtml is present but not declared in content.opf. After: align the OPF nav property only when that file is the real TOC and EPUBCheck passes again.
Ready to retry?
Scan the EPUB that failed in Kindle Previewer.
Use the exported EPUB that Previewer could not process. The report can show whether a checked repair is possible before another Previewer run.
Upload EPUB to scanFAQ
Questions authors ask when Kindle Previewer fails.
Why did Kindle Previewer fail on my EPUB?
It may have found an EPUB package, navigation, metadata, link, anchor, manifest, media-type, or ZIP problem. Scan the EPUB to find the affected path before exporting again.
Is a Kindle Previewer failure the same as an EPUBCheck error?
Not always, but they can overlap. EPUBCheck-style structure problems often explain Previewer validation or conversion failures.
Should I re-export before scanning?
If you still have the EPUB that failed, scan it first. The report can tell you whether another export is needed or whether a clear package fix exists.
Can EPUB Fixer fix enhanced typesetting failures?
Only if the failure maps to a clear EPUB structure blocker. Visual layout, source formatting, and Kindle-specific rendering issues are outside this scanner.