The Ultimate Amazon KDP Formatting Checklist for 2026

Publishing on Amazon KDP can easily turn into a frustrating cycle of submissions, 24-to-72-hour review delays, and cryptic automated rejections with messages like “Text outside the margins” or “Fonts not embedded”.

To save you hours of trial and error, we compiled this definitive technical checklist covering every requirement the Amazon KDP review engine inspects for paperback print interiors and Kindle digital editions.

1. Paperback Interior Requirements (PDF)

• Standard Trim Size: Your PDF page dimensions must match one of KDP’s 16 official trim sizes (e.g., 5.5×8.5“, 6×9“, 5×8“).
• Gutter Margin Based on Page Count:
  • 24 to 150 pages: minimum 0.375“ (9.6 mm).
  • 151 to 300 pages: minimum 0.500“ (12.7 mm).
  • 301 to 500 pages: minimum 0.625“ (15.9 mm).
  • 501 to 700 pages: minimum 0.750“ (19.1 mm).
• Bleed Allowance: If background artwork or illustrations touch the page edge, add 0.125“ (3.2 mm) exclusively to the top, bottom, and outside edges (never on the spine edge).
• 100% Embedded Fonts: All font subsets used across the document must be fully embedded inside the PDF file.
• 300 DPI High-Resolution Imagery: All photos and line art must be at least 300 dots per inch to prevent pixelation during offset printing.
• Right-Hand Page Section Openers: Major chapters and parts should ideally start on odd-numbered (recto / right-hand) pages.

2. Kindle eBook Requirements (EPUB)

• Valid EPUB 3.0 Format: Avoid uploading unprocessed .mobi or raw .docx files; validated EPUB ensures flawless rendering across Kindle apps and e-ink Paperwhite devices.
• Logical Table of Contents (TOC/NCX): Headings h1, h2, and h3 must generate a navigable structure recognized by Kindle software.
• Optimized RGB Images: JPEG or PNG images compressed appropriately to avoid inflating Amazon’s digital delivery fees.
• Reflowable Layout Rules: No fixed positioning (position: fixed) or hardcoded pixel widths that break dynamic font scaling.
• Complete Metadata Package: Declare title, creator, language (dc:language), and identifier in the EPUB package header.

3. Editorial & Legal Essentials

• Copyright Page: Clear copyright notice, publication year, and publisher attribution.
• ISBN Matching: Free KDP ISBN or your purchased imprint ISBN matching your Amazon product listing.
• Clean Front Matter: Half-title and title pages with unnumbered header/footer areas.

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If you want to skip manual bleed calculations and margin adjustments, the Markfolio Book Creator automatically verifies and enforces every point on this checklist before compiling your files for Amazon KDP.