The Ultimate KDP Formatting Checklist

Last reviewed by the publishing.co.uk team — May 2026

TL;DR: Download our 20-point checklist to ensure your manuscript passes KDP review on the first try.

Before you upload your manuscript to Amazon KDP, run it through this 20-point checklist to ensure it won't be rejected by the automated review system.

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.

The Checklist

1. File & Format Basics

• Final file is exported as a PDF (for print) and EPUB (for digital).
• Print PDF is saved as PDF/A compliant or PDF/X-1a:2001.
• All fonts are embedded in the PDF.

2. Page Setup & Margins

• Trim size matches your KDP setup selection (e.g., 6" x 9").
• Gutter margin is correct for your final page count.
• Top, bottom, and outside margins are at least 0.25" (0.5" recommended).
• If using bleed, 0.125" is added to the top, bottom, and outside edges.

3. Front Matter

• Title page matches the metadata entered in KDP exactly.
• Copyright page includes year and author name.
• Table of Contents is generated automatically (not typed manually).
• Print TOC uses dot leaders and page numbers.
• Digital TOC uses hyperlinks and no page numbers.

4. Typography & Layout

• Chapter titles use a consistent Heading style.
• First paragraphs of chapters are NOT indented.
• Subsequent paragraphs are indented consistently (e.g., 0.3").
• Scene breaks use a consistent visual marker (e.g., ***).
• No more than 3 consecutive hyphens are used (replace with an em-dash).

5. Images & Graphics

• All interior images are at least 300 DPI.
• Color images are converted to CMYK (for print).
• Images intended to bleed extend fully to the edge of the bleed zone.
• No text overlays on images extend into the 0.25" safe zone.