Resources on publishing.co.uk — Professional KDP Book Formatting

The Ultimate KDP Formatting Checklist

Wed, 18 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

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.

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.

Don't want to check this yourself?

Our AI formatting engine checks all 20 points automatically. If KDP rejects it, we fix it free.