EPUB error guide
Use this when an OPF reference names a manifest id that does not exist. Find where the missing id is used before you change spine or navigation wiring.
Scan when the message does not name the affected path. The report shows affected paths and repair decisions. Your original EPUB stays unchanged.
Need fixed-layout, DRM, or source-file help? Check unsupported or review-first EPUB cases.
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In an EPUB package, OPF_049 means one OPF field names a manifest id that the manifest does not define.
The OPF package is pointing to an internal manifest id that does not exist. Unlike a missing file path error, this problem is about the relationship between OPF elements: one part of the package names an item id, but the manifest never defines that item.
EPUB Fixer can repair this when the intended manifest item is clear, such as a spine itemref that points to an old id while the same XHTML file is still declared under a new id. A safe fix updates the reference to the existing manifest id or restores the missing manifest item when the file and media type are unambiguous.
Find the OPF line named by the error, such as a spine itemref, guide reference, fallback, media-overlay, toc value, or another package-level reference.
Do not guess the reading order, navigation target, fallback chain, or media overlay target when several manifest items could match. If the missing id affects spine order, fixed-layout pages, multiple renditions, or editorial navigation choices, manual review is required.
1. Example report output
A useful report should show the broken id reference and whether there is one obvious manifest item behind it.
EPUBCheck message
ERROR(OPF-049): OEBPS/content.opf(42,15): item id "chapter3" was not found in the manifest.
KDP / Previewer wording
The package references an item that is not declared in the manifest.
EPUB Fixer report
spine has idref="chapter3". manifest has id="chap-3" href="Text/chapter3.xhtml".
Do this next
Align the idref only if chap-3 clearly points to the same content document.
Do not do this
Do not point the spine to a nearby chapter just to make the EPUB validate.
Safe repair means preserving the intended reading order, navigation, and package relationship, not just replacing a missing id with any existing id.
2. Next step
The next step depends on where the missing id is used and whether a clear replacement exists.
Scan first
Find whether the id is used in spine, guide, fallback, media overlay, toc, or another OPF package field.
Safe repair
Update the OPF reference to the existing manifest id only when the href and role match the missing item.
Manual review
Stop when several chapters, fallbacks, overlays, or rendition items could match the missing id.
3. Concrete path example
The file can exist while the OPF id wiring is still broken.
EPUBCheck: ERROR(OPF-049): OEBPS/content.opf(42,15): item id "chapter3" was not found in the manifest. Report: Broken reference: <itemref idref="chapter3"/> Manifest candidate: <item id="chap-3" href="Text/chapter3.xhtml" media-type="application/xhtml+xml"/> Fix decision: safe repair if chap-3 is the same spine item After: update idref, then validate again
If chapter3 was deleted or several chapter files look similar, the report should stop instead of guessing the reading order.
Quick decision
The safe action changes depending on whether the intended item still exists under another id.
Scan first
OPF_049 means some OPF field names a manifest id that is not defined. First identify whether the missing id is used by the spine, guide, fallback, media overlay, toc, or another package reference because each one changes a different part of the book.
Safe fix
OPF_049 means an OPF reference names a manifest id that does not exist. Update the idref or restore the manifest item only when the matching href, media type, and role prove which file the package meant to use.
Stop
Do not guess reading order, fixed-layout pages, fallbacks, media overlays, or multiple-rendition package choices.
Common situations
Most OPF_049 errors appear after package ids are renamed or old references survive cleanup.
The manifest id changed from chapter3 to chap-3, but the spine still names chapter3. EPUBCheck fails because the reading order points to an id that the manifest no longer defines.
Update the spine idref only if the matching manifest href proves it is the same chapter in the intended reading order.
Old EPUB 2 guide or toc wiring can remain after a file was removed, so the package still points to an id that no manifest item owns.
Remove the obsolete reference or restore the intended manifest item only after confirming whether that guide or toc target should still exist.
Media or alternate content points to a fallback item that no longer exists in the manifest.
Do not guess fallback behavior without checking the asset chain.
Audio or fixed-layout packages can reference ids that changed during export.
Treat timing and fixed-layout links as manual review unless the target is obvious.
OPF_049: Item id was not found in the manifest.
EPUBCheck, Kindle Previewer, or KDP finds an OPF reference that names a manifest id, but the OPF manifest has no item with that id. This can affect spine itemrefs, EPUB 2 NCX wiring, guide references, media overlays, fallbacks, or other package-level links.
What it means
This often happens after renaming manifest ids, deleting a chapter item, changing nav or NCX entries, merging EPUB files, or editing the OPF by hand. The file may still exist in the ZIP, but the package-level id wiring is broken.
Before you edit
Do not point a spine, guide, fallback, or media-overlay reference to a nearby item just because the file name looks similar. First confirm the intended manifest item.
Why KDP checks it
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 checks EPUB 2 and EPUB 3 files against the official rules and reports package, markup, link, and file-reference problems.
Repair example
Before: the spine contains <itemref idref="chapter3"/> but the manifest only has <item id="chap-3" href="chapter3.xhtml" media-type="application/xhtml+xml"/>. After: the spine idref is updated only if chap-3 is the clear intended item. Before: an idref points to a deleted chapter with no matching file; that should stop for manual review.
Ready to retry?
A report should show the missing id, where it is used, and which manifest items might match by href or media type.
Upload EPUB to scanFAQ
It means an OPF reference names a manifest item id that does not exist. The EPUB package may still contain the file, but the manifest id wiring is inconsistent.
It often comes from spine itemrefs, NCX toc references, fallback chains, guide references, media overlay links, or manual OPF edits where an id was renamed or deleted.
OPF_002 usually means the package file path itself cannot be found. OPF_049 means the OPF package exists, but an internal id reference points to a manifest item that is missing.
Only when there is one clear intended manifest item. If the missing id affects reading order, navigation, fallback behavior, or media overlays, the report should stop for manual review.
Yes. If spine, nav, NCX, or guide references point to ids that do not exist in the manifest, Kindle conversion can fail or produce a book with missing chapters or broken navigation.
