01
What do the KDP Content Guidelines cover?
Checked on 18 October 2026, KDP may remove content that creates a poor customer experience and will reject or remove content that breaks the guidelines. A removed title can be appealed after KDP notifies the author, publisher, or selling partner. The rules cover the book, title, cover, and description. A translation must credit the translator and the original author. If the translator is unknown, list "Anonymous". Authors, publishers, and selling partners must make sure the content does not violate laws or copyright, trademark, brand, privacy, or publicity rights. KDP will not accept copyrighted content that is free on the web unless the copyright owner provides it. A companion such as a summary or study guide cannot be published outside the US without the copyright holder's written permission. KDP does not sell content it determines is hate speech, promotes the abuse or sexual exploitation of children, contains pornography, glorifies rape or pedophilia, advocates terrorism, or other material it deems inappropriate or offensive. Disclose AI-generated text, images, or translations, including cover and interior images, when you publish or republish. AI-assisted work does not have to be disclosed. The labels are on the AI disclosure answer. Misleading description text is not allowed. The quality guide's disappointing examples include a redirect for the rest of the book, unowned web content, advertising, a near-duplicate, a short or poorly translated book, heavy reuse, and a confusing rebrand. A romance novel may keep the same text if the title or subtitle says Discreet Version or Alternate Version. Any critical issue removes the book until it is corrected. KDP may change categories. The quality guide's section titles do not match the guidelines headings word for word. Song scores and lyrics managed by a copyright company, including JASRAC, cannot be published on the Kindle Store. That rule is marked Japan only. No report timeline is stated.[532][535]
- Read the AI labels on the AI disclosure answer.
- Section titles in the quality guide do not match the guidelines headings word for word.
02
What do the guidelines say about public domain and metadata?
KDP allows public domain books and may ask for proof. An undifferentiated copy is refused when a free version is already in the store. Differentiated means an original translation, original annotations (a study guide, literary critique, detailed biography, or historical context), or 10 or more original illustrations. Put (Translated), (Annotated), or (Illustrated) in the title. "Pride and Prejudice (Annotated)" is acceptable. "Pride and Prejudice (with an Introduction by Tiffany Gordon)" is not. Open the description with bullets on what is original, at most 80 characters. A linked contents list, formatting, a collection, sales rank, price, and free web content do not count. Choose "I own the copyright and I hold the necessary publishing rights" or "This is a public domain work". Copyright length varies by country. These books are not eligible for all ebook royalty options or for KDP Select. The title field should hold only the cover title. Prohibited title text includes repeated generic keywords, an unauthorized title, author, or trademark, a false contributor, a sales-rank reference, an advertisement, punctuation alone, a placeholder, or HTML tags. Title plus subtitle must be fewer than 200 characters. The description cannot include pornographic, obscene, or offensive content, contact details, a URL, a review or quote, a review request, an ad, time-sensitive information, a price, a spoiler, or keyword tags. Choose up to three categories. Public domain and low-content books cannot be a series. An ebook needs no ISBN. A paperback or hardcover needs one, except low-content.[532][533][534]
- The originality note is capped at 80 characters.
- Copyright length is not one worldwide number.
03
What rules apply to low-content books?
A low-content book has little or no interior content, is generally repetitive, and is filled in by the user. Puzzle and coloring books are not the typical case. Exceptions are possible. Use your own ISBN or none. A free KDP ISBN and a release date are not offered. Check the Low-content box or the book is rejected. Your own ISBN may have a barcode on the cover or not. With no ISBN, KDP prints a barcode in a 2 in (50.8 mm) by 1.2 in (30.5 mm) white box at the lower right of the back cover. Transparency codes are unavailable for books created after November 2025. Change the ISBN choice only by unpublishing and republishing. Expanded Distribution and a series are not supported. The sample and the back-cover thumbnail are not supported without an ISBN. Hardcover is not supported on kdp.amazon.co.jp.[536]
| KDP lists as low-content | Not generally low-content |
|---|---|
| Notebooks | Novels |
| Planners | Nonfiction |
| Diaries and journals | Puzzle books |
| Prompt journals | Coloring books |
| Log books | Photography |
| Coupon books | Sheet music |
| Score card templates | Manuals |
| Crafting templates | Textbooks |
| Blank sheet music | Children's books |
- The Low-content box is required.
- A free KDP ISBN is not available.
04
What do the KDP terms say about termination, suspension, and unpaid royalties?
The terms were last updated September 27, 2024. In the EU or the UK, if KDP requires a business or identity check at signup, the agreement starts only after that check. Otherwise it starts when you accept it and runs until KDP or you end it. KDP may terminate access or suspend the account for concerns with the account, concerns with related activity, or a breach of law or the agreement. The terms do not list examples of those concerns. If you end it, digital books and on-demand printings stop within 5 business days. Print inventory already held, pending orders, and re-downloads may continue. Royalties may be held for three months from the payable date to cover refunds and other offsets. A termination for breach of your representations and warranties or the Content Guidelines forfeits unpaid royalties. A new account without express permission earns none. Deceptive, fraudulent, or illegal activity can mean payments are withheld permanently. The same breach on one book means no royalties for that book, and royalties already paid may be offset.[537]
- The 5 business days apply when you terminate.
- Unpaid royalties are forfeited in the breach case the terms name.
05
What does KDP publish about an appeal, and what is not stated?
On termination, KDP notifies you and provides appeal instructions if you believe it is in error. The steps, the form, and a timeline are not on the terms page. A removed title can be appealed after notice. That timeline is not stated either. The two notices are on different pages. A quality dashboard and a close-your-account page were not used as sources. These pages do not say why a given account was terminated.[532][533][537]
- Appeal steps are not printed on the terms page.
- No day count is stated for a title appeal or an account appeal.
Use the guided answer
Apply this to your book
The guide preserves your exact choice in the URL, so you can return to it or send it to someone else.
Open the rights stage