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KDP rejection decoder

Paste the email KDP sent you, or the Print Previewer’s list of issues. The decoder names each problem it reports among the 26 KDP issues it knows, links to the fix, and lists any sentence it didn’t recognize. It runs in your browser: the text is never sent anywhere.

By kdpbook.io editorialPublished ✓ Checked against KDP Help on

Nothing leaves your browser: the message is analyzed on this page and is never sent or saved.

What KDP is telling you

Paste a message to see each issue it reports, with a link to the fix.

Cite this tool

kdpbook.io, “KDP rejection decoder”, https://kdpbook.io/kdp/rejection-decoder (checked against KDP Help on ).

Example: a decoded KDP message

This message combines three common problems. Its wording is paraphrased from typical KDP messages; your email may be phrased differently.

Your manuscript has text or images that fall outside the margins. Text or objects outside margins: page 4, page 9. Images or backgrounds intended to bleed must extend at least 0.125 in (3.2 mm) beyond the trim. Your book doesn't have enough pages for spine text. Books need at least 79 pages to include text on the spine.

The decoder reads it as:

  1. Content outside the marginsBlocks publishing100% match

    Pages 4, 9

    What it means and how to fix it →
  2. Art doesn't reach into the bleedBlocks publishing95% match
    What it means and how to fix it →
  3. Spine text on a thin bookBlocks publishing100% match
    What it means and how to fix it →

What the decoder recognizes

The same 26 issues explained on the KDP rejection messages page, grouped by where the problem is:

How it works

The decoder normalizes the text (quotes, dashes, inch marks), splits it into sentences and bullet points, and scores each one against the typical wording of every issue, in English and in the wording KDP uses on its French, German, Spanish and Italian marketplaces. When a sentence matches, it also picks up the page numbers, sizes, page counts and DPI values KDP quoted. Sentences that describe a problem but match nothing are listed as not recognized.

It is the same matcher kdpbook’s book assistant uses when you paste Amazon’s feedback into a book, loaded into this page the first time you type. See the KDP Help page on formatting issues for KDP’s own list.

How to use it

  1. 01

    Copy KDP's message

    From the email, the Bookshelf notice or the Print Previewer's list of issues. Include the lines with page numbers or sizes.

  2. 02

    Paste it

    The decoder reads it on this page and lists each issue it finds, with how sure the match is.

  3. 03

    Open each fix

    Every issue links to its section on the KDP messages page: what it means, why it happens and how to fix it.

  4. 04

    Upload and check

    Fix the files, upload them again and check them in KDP's Print Previewer before you resubmit.

Questions

Is the KDP email I paste sent anywhere?

No. The decoder runs in your browser: the text is matched on this page, never sent to a server and never saved. Close the tab and it is gone.

Which KDP messages does the decoder recognize?

26 issues, grouped by area. Interior: Content outside the margins; Inside margin (gutter) too small; Art doesn't reach into the bleed; Page count outside KDP's limits; Too many blank pages; Text too small; Low-resolution images; Text blends into the background. Cover: Spine text on a thin book; Spine text too close to the edge; Something in the barcode area. File: Bleed setting doesn't match the file; Page size doesn't match the trim size; Cover doesn't match the page count; Fonts not embedded; Transparency not flattened; Links, bookmarks or comments in the PDF; Cover size is wrong; Watermark on the files. Book details: Cover doesn't match the book details; Title page doesn't match the book details; Keywords or promotional words in the title; Low-content / ISBN setting. Content: Web addresses or links in the book; Placeholder or template text; Content review (quality, rights, AI).

Does it read KDP emails in other languages?

Yes, for many messages: besides English it recognizes common wording from KDP's French, German, Spanish and Italian marketplaces, and shows which language it detected.

What if part of my message isn't recognized?

The decoder lists the sentences that report a problem but match none of the issues it knows. Read those against KDP's Help pages, or reply to KDP to ask what they need.

If I fix everything it finds, will KDP accept my book?

Nobody can promise that: KDP reviews every book. Fix each issue, upload the new files, and check them in KDP's Print Previewer before you submit again.

Make it with kdpbook

Let the book assistant fix it.

In kdpbook, paste Amazon’s feedback into the book assistant: it recognizes these messages, fixes what it can in your book and tells you what to change in KDP.

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