Guide
Why was my KDP cover rejected?
Most KDP cover rejections come down to a handful of fixable problems. Here's what each one means and how to fix it, based on KDP's published cover requirements.
1. The cover is the wrong size for your page count
This is the most common rejection. A paperback cover's width is back cover + spine + front cover + bleed, and the spine width depends on your page count and paper. If you added or removed pages after designing the cover, or designed it for a different trim size, the file no longer matches.
Fix: recalculate the size in the KDP cover size calculator using your final page count, then resize your canvas. For example, a 6 × 9 in book on white paper needs a 12.700 × 9.250 in cover at 200 pages, but 12.790 × 9.250 in at 240 pages.
2. Missing bleed
KDP needs 0.125 in (3.2 mm) of bleed on the top, bottom and outside edges. Anything in the bleed is trimmed off, so your background has to extend all the way to the edge of the file. Without bleed you risk thin white slivers on the edges of the printed book.
Fix: extend your background image or colour to the outer edge of the full-size canvas.
3. Text too close to the edge
Text on the front and back cover must sit at least 0.125 in inside the trim line. Titles, author names and back-cover copy that run close to the edge get flagged, because the trim can shift slightly in production.
Fix: keep all text inside the safe zones shown in the green dashed boxes in the calculator preview and PDF template.
4. Spine text on a book that's too thin
KDP only allows spine text on books with more than 79 pages. Below that, a cover with spine text will be rejected. On thicker books, spine text still needs at least 0.0625 in (1.6 mm) of space from each spine edge.
Fix: remove the spine text if you have 79 pages or fewer. Otherwise check your spine width in the spine width calculator and keep text away from the folds.
5. Low-resolution images
KDP requires at least 300 DPI. A cover that looks sharp on screen can still be too small for print. A 6 × 9 in cover with 200 white pages needs 3811 × 2775 pixels.
Fix: export at the full pixel size from the calculator, and replace any artwork that's smaller than it needs to be. Scaling a small image up doesn't add real detail.
6. Something is in the barcode area
If KDP prints your ISBN barcode for you, it goes in a 2 × 1.2 in area in the bottom-right corner of the back cover, 0.25 in from the spine and the bottom edge. Text or important art there will be covered.
Fix: keep the purple barcode box in the template clear.
7. The title or author name doesn't match your book details
The title, author name and other details on the cover must exactly match what you entered when setting up the book. A subtitle on the cover that isn't in your book details, or a different spelling of the author name, is enough to get flagged.
Fix: edit either the cover or the book details so they match word for word.
8. Text is too small
KDP's minimum font size for cover text is 7 point. Fine print on the back cover is the usual culprit.
9. The file isn't a single, print-ready PDF
KDP wants one PDF containing the back cover, spine and front cover as a single image. Before uploading, KDP asks you to flatten transparencies, embed fonts, remove crop marks and colour bars, and remove any file security. KDP also recommends CMYK colour for print.
Fix: export a flattened PDF at the exact full-cover size. Our PDF template is already the right size to design on.
10. The file is too large
KDP recommends cover files of 40 MB or less, and files over 650 MB won't process.
Fix: use your design tool's "optimise" or "reduce file size" export option.
Making a hardcover?
Hardcover covers follow different rules. They need wrap instead of bleed, larger boards and a hinge. Use the hardcover cover calculator and read paperback vs hardcover cover size.