Last reviewed by Robert Prime — May 2026
Quick Answer: The title on your cover or interior PDF doesn't match the title in your KDP dashboard metadata. KDP cross-checks these. Update KDP to match the file (faster) or re-export the file to match KDP. Both must be identical, including subtitle and capitalisation.
Full reasoning, why-it-happens, and the exact fix below.
UK note: UK-specific considerations apply — ISBN purchases go through Nielsen (not Bowker), VAT rules differ from the US (print books are zero-rated; ebooks carry 20% VAT), and GDPR applies to any email/customer data. See our UK self-publishing guides for specifics.
We see this come through our formatting queue at publishing.co.uk regularly, so the patterns and fixes here are based on what actually works at upload.
What this error means
KDP's metadata reviewer runs OCR over your cover image, finds the title and subtitle, and compares against what you typed in the dashboard's Title and Subtitle fields. Any meaningful difference triggers rejection with "The title on your book cover does not match the title you have entered."
The rule is strict in spirit, lenient on micro-detail. Differences that matter:
- Different words entirely
- Subtitle on cover but no subtitle in dashboard (or vice versa)
- Series name on cover but not in dashboard
- "& Co" on cover vs "and Co" in dashboard
- "The Truth About X" vs "Truth About X"
Differences that usually don't:
- Capitalisation (cover often uses ALL CAPS for style)
- Hyphenation in compound words
- Em-dash vs en-dash
When in doubt, match exactly.
📎 Source: KDP's authoritative documentation on this rule is at KDP's metadata requirements.
Why it happens
Series titles. Author types "The Quiet War: Book One" on cover but only "The Quiet War" in dashboard. Rejected. Or the cover shows the book title only but the dashboard has "Book Title: A Subtitle".
Subtitle creep. Designer adds a long subtitle for marketing ("The Indispensable Guide to UK Tax Self-Assessment for the Self-Employed") but the dashboard has a short version.
Author name discrepancy. Same rule applies to author. Cover says "Robert James Prime", dashboard says "Robert Prime". Counted as mismatch.
Pen name confusion. Author uses a pen name on the cover but enters real name in the dashboard "Author" field.
Edition naming. "Second Edition" on cover, no edition in the dashboard title.
Translated titles. A French translation lists the French title on the cover but the English original in the dashboard.
The fix
Step 1: Open your KDP dashboard and find the listing for this book.
Step 2: Note exactly what you typed in:
- Book Title field
- Subtitle field (often blank)
- Series field
- Edition Number field
- Author / Contributors field
Step 3: Open your cover image at full size. Read every word of text on the front and spine.
Step 4: Identify every difference between cover and dashboard. List them.
Step 5: Decide which side to change. Two options:
Update dashboard to match cover — easier (no file changes). Edit the dashboard fields to reflect what's printed on the cover exactly.
Update cover to match dashboard — needed if the dashboard reflects what's printed inside the book (on the title page) and you want consistency throughout.
Step 6 (dashboard fix): Open the listing → edit Book Title → make it match exactly. Same for Subtitle. Save. KDP re-runs the check.
Step 7 (cover fix): Open the cover design → update the offending text → re-export as flattened PDF/X-1a → re-upload cover. KDP re-runs the check.
Step 8: Confirm consistency at the title page inside the book too. If your interior PDF's title page says "Robert James Prime" but the cover says "Robert Prime", that's an internal contradiction even if both match the dashboard. Fix the interior title page to match the cover.
Step 9: For pen names: the dashboard "Author" field should be the public pen name (what appears on the cover and in customer listings). KDP has a separate "Contributor" field for legal name purposes if needed.
Step 10: For series: include the series and book number in the Series fields, not embedded in the title. Customers can then browse the series in Kindle store.
How to pre-flight it
Our free KDP Readiness Score runs OCR on your cover and compares the extracted title and author against what you'll enter in the dashboard. Mismatches are flagged before you upload. Plus 30+ other KDP rules.
Related errors
FAQ
Does capitalisation matter? Generally no — "The Quiet War" and "THE QUIET WAR" are considered the same. But to be safe, match exactly.
What about the author name — do middle names matter? Yes — "Robert Prime" and "Robert J. Prime" are treated as different. Match exactly across cover, interior title page page.
Can I add an edition number later? Yes — second editions need a new ISBN, but the dashboard title can stay the same if you don't put "Second Edition" on the cover. If your cover advertises the edition, the dashboard must too.
My cover says 'A Novel' as a subtitle — should I include that in the dashboard? Yes — "A Novel" on the cover should appear in the Subtitle field. KDP treats subtitle as a discoverable field that helps readers find your book.
Frequently asked questions
Does case matter? 'The Book' vs 'The book'?
Yes. KDP treats title fields as exact strings. 'The Book' and 'The book' are different. Match exactly.
How do I check the title in my PDF metadata?
Open the PDF → File → Properties → Description. The Title field there must exactly match what you've entered in KDP's book-details form. Subtitle treatment is more forgiving but the main title needs to match character-for-character.
Will publishing.co.uk update PDF metadata for me?
Yes — PDF metadata is a one-line change in Acrobat's Properties dialog. We standardise it as part of every file we deliver, so this rejection rarely comes up on books we've formatted. For an existing file, it's a 5-minute correction.
Why does the metadata title need to match the KDP form?
KDP's automated review cross-checks the PDF metadata against your submission form to catch the case where authors upload the wrong file by accident. It's a sanity check, not a content rule.
Related KDP error fixes
If you got the rejection above, you may also want to check these related issues — they tend to cluster:
Full list: KDP formatting errors hub · KDP rejection fixes hub · KDP rejected my book
About this guide
This page is part of a series of UK-focused KDP rejection guides at publishing.co.uk, each documenting a specific reason KDP can reject a print or Kindle file and the exact fix. Written by Robert Prime — founder of publishing.co.uk, co-runs the LoveReading network, and has overseen 500+ KDP submissions through formatting work in this category (metadata).
If you'd rather have someone else handle this and the other 35 issues KDP checks for, our formatting service is from £69 with a 3-day turnaround and a 100% KDP-acceptance guarantee.
Run a free KDP Readiness Score on your file before you upload — catches this issue and 35 others, in 60 seconds.
External references
- Amazon KDP Help — official KDP documentation
- Author Earnings reports (ALCS) — UK author income surveys
