KDP table of contents not working? Check the file and previewer

1. Confirm this is an ebook navigation problem

This checklist is for a Kindle ebook, not a printed book’s page-number contents list. KDP distinguishes a logical table of contents, used for navigation, from an HTML contents page that readers can see within the book. Its guidance requires the logical TOC and strongly recommends an HTML TOC. Having a visible list of chapter titles does not establish that reader navigation works.

Record the warning exactly, the file format and the filename or version you uploaded. Check that the preview is showing the latest upload rather than an earlier draft. Keep the source available for comparison. Do not rebuild the book or change several settings at once just to make the warning disappear.

• Does a visible contents page exist, and do its links reach the intended chapters?
• Does the Kindle navigation or Go To menu show the intended chapters in the correct order?
• Is the problem a missing entry, a link to the wrong place, an unclickable list, or a warning despite working links?

2. Start with the format you actually uploaded

For DOCX, inspect heading styles, bookmarks and the contents field in Word. If chapter headings were added, removed or renamed, update the entire automatic table rather than only the page numbers. A hand-typed list is not an automatic table. Then save and preview a new copy. Do not assume that a field’s cached display or the Word navigation pane proves the Kindle result.

For EPUB, check both the visible contents and the reader’s navigation document. EPUB 3 uses a nav document; EPUB 2 uses NCX. A missing NCX is not, by itself, an explanation for a problem in every EPUB 3 file. Inspect actual destinations and heading order rather than adding files speculatively.

For KPF, return to the Kindle Create project and its chapter structure, then export and preview again. ChapterTidy does not currently import KPF. If you also have an earlier DOCX or EPUB source, it can be checked separately, but that is not a repair of the KPF file itself.

• Inspect DOCX headings, bookmarks and contents fields
• Inspect EPUB contents links and reader navigation

3. Compare the same version in each preview

Open the exact EPUB or supported source in desktop Kindle Previewer, then compare the result with KDP’s Online Previewer after the upload has finished processing. Use the same chapter entries and device or font settings where possible. Desktop and online preview tools have differences, so record where the behaviour changes instead of treating one screenshot as conclusive proof.

Click every entry in the visible contents and the interactive navigation menu. Confirm the destination heading, not merely that a click causes movement. KDP’s quality checklist also advises checking the contents without page numbers for reflowable ebooks and reviewing layout at different device sizes and font settings.

On small screens, scroll the table sideways to see all columns.

4. Repair only a problem you can reproduce

If the DOCX or EPUB source has a broken internal link, missing navigation or inconsistent heading structure, ChapterTidy can inspect the supported issues and offer a reviewable repair plan. Check suggested destinations and chapter levels before applying changes. A label that matches several headings is not a safe reason to guess.

Generate the output, read its report and open the actual downloaded file. EPUBCheck tests EPUB conformance, while clicking entries checks whether they lead where your reader expects. Neither replaces the other. A review draft still needs the stated manual checks, and no ChapterTidy result guarantees KDP acceptance. If the evidence points only to KDP processing or preview, an automatic manuscript repair may not address it.

5. Keep a small diagnostic record

Write down enough information to reproduce the issue without repeatedly changing the manuscript. Keep the comparison private while you are checking it. If you need KDP support, use the official account support route and share only the material needed for that case. Do not post an unpublished manuscript, account details or access links in a public forum.

Authors have reported a missing-TOC warning after very small text edits, and a follow-up in the discussion linked below reports a support-assisted resolution. That is evidence that the symptom deserves diagnosis, not proof that the platform is always at fault or that a particular repair will work for another book.

• File format, filename/version and approximate upload time.
• The exact warning text and where it appears.
• Which visible contents links and navigation entries fail, with the expected chapter.
• Results for the same file in a local reader, desktop Kindle Previewer and Online Previewer.
• Changes made since the last working version, plus screenshots that do not disclose private text unnecessarily.

• Download the plain-text diagnostic checklist

When should you stop changing the file?

Stop making speculative edits when you cannot reproduce a defect in the source and the available previews disagree. Preserve the working copy, the exact test results and the warning, then use KDP’s support process. If a source defect is reproducible, fix that specific issue and repeat the same checks. Avoid a cycle of unrelated conversions that makes the original problem harder to trace.

Reading this guide does not upload anything. Using the ChapterTidy workspace uploads the file to its server for processing, with a default 24-hour retention period and a delete option. Use only a manuscript you are permitted to upload. This guide is independent of Amazon and is not an approval or certification service.