The numbers
| Rule | Value |
|---|---|
| Barcode KDP adds | 2 × 1.2 in (50.8 × 30.5 mm), in a white box |
| Your own barcode, minimum size | 1.4 × 0.8 in |
| Background | solid white |
| Paperback position | lower right of the back cover, at least 0.25 in from the spine and the trim |
| Hardcover position | at least 0.76 in from the bottom of the cover and 0.25 in from the spine hinge |
| When KDP adds it | Cover Creator covers, and cover PDFs uploaded without a barcode, with or without an ISBN |
When KDP prints the barcode
If you design the cover with Cover Creator, or upload a print-ready cover PDF without a barcode, KDP places one on the back cover for you. That applies to books with or without an ISBN, including low-content books published without one. The box is white, so any art underneath is covered.
You can print your own barcode instead. KDP asks for at least 1.4 × 0.8 in, on a solid white background, in the same lower-right zone.
Designing around it
Plan the back cover copy to stop above the box, or to stay beside it. Author photos, logos and QR codes go elsewhere. On a hardcover, the box must also stay off the 10 mm hinge next to the spine, where the cover bends.
Example: the back of a 6 × 9 in paperback
The back cover panel is 6 in wide. With KDP's box 0.25 in from the spine and 0.25 in from the bottom trim, it covers the area from 3.75 in to 5.75 in measured from the outer edge, and up to 1.45 in above the bottom trim. The blurb can use the full width above that line, plus the 3.75 in beside the box.
Common mistakes
- Placing a photo or pattern behind the barcode area: KDP's white box covers it.
- Letting the blurb or the author bio run into the box.
- Leaving a sample barcode from a cover template on the final file.
- Printing your own barcode smaller than 1.4 × 0.8 in or on a colored background.
- Putting the barcode on the hinge of a hardcover cover.
In kdpbook: kdpbook keeps the barcode area clear on every cover it lays out.