KDP rules we track

The publishing rules that decide whether a book goes through and what it earns. Each section links to its KDP source.

Checked November 7, 2026Plain text version

Royalties

Paperback: 60% of the list price minus printing, or 50% below a price threshold that depends on the marketplace
Paperback, Expanded Distribution: 40% of the list price minus printing; not offered for Japanese books
Hardcover: 60% or 50%, the same way as paperback
Ebook: 70% within a price band per marketplace, otherwise 35%

Source: KDP · Paperback Royalty · checked November 7, 2026

Source: KDP · Hardcover Royalty · checked November 7, 2026

Note: The help page gives 98/99 SEK for Amazon.se; KDP's royalty calculator uses 110 SEK like paperback. The calculator value is used.

Weekly title limits

KDP lets each account create 2 and submit 2 new titles per format per week (ebook, paperback, hardcover). The count resets Sunday 00:00 UTC.

Source: KDP · Create a Book · checked November 7, 2026

Note: Creation and submission limits are separate. Updates to submitted titles do not count; a saved draft counts when it is first submitted.

Title and description

Title and subtitle together must stay under 200 characters.

The description may not contain contact details, urls, reviews, quotes, price, time-sensitive, sales rank.

Source: KDP · Metadata Guidelines for Books · checked November 7, 2026

Note: Neither the help pages nor this file give a description length limit; the KDP form shows it.

Keywords and categories

Up to 7 keywords. Words that add nothing or break the rules: “best”, “bestseller”, “bestselling”, “free”, “new”, “sale”, “kindle”, “kdp”, “book”, “books”.

Up to 3 categories.

Source: KDP · Make Your Book More Discoverable with Keywords · checked November 7, 2026

Note: The help page gives no character limit per keyword; the KDP form shows it. Words already in the title or categories add nothing.

Source: KDP · KDP Categories · checked November 7, 2026

Note: Chosen in KDP's category window after setting primary audience and marketplace; reading age limits Children's and Teen categories.

Low-content books

Notebooks, planners, logbooks and similar books can be published as low-content: an ISBN is not required, and they cannot use KDP's free ISBN. Coloring and puzzle books are generally not low-content.

Source: KDP · Low-Content Books · checked November 7, 2026

AI disclosure

KDP asks separately about AI-generated text, images, translations.

In kdpbookai the Publish page suggests the answer for each book: puzzles built by code are not AI content, a written book has AI text, picture and coloring books have AI text and images, and a translated edition has an AI translation. You give the final answer in KDP.

Source: KDP · Content Guidelines · checked November 7, 2026

Note: AI-generated content must be declared, even after substantial edits. AI-assisted content (the author made it and AI only edited or brainstormed) needs no declaration.

Languages

KDP accepts 47 languages. 39 can be printed; 8 are ebook only (Arabic, Chinese Traditional, Gujarati, Hindi, Malayalam, Marathi, Persian, Tamil).

Source: KDP · Supported Languages · checked November 7, 2026

Cover files

Resolution: 300 DPI
Smallest text: 7 pt
File: Single PDF, Flattened transparency, Embedded fonts, No crop marks, No security, No spot colors
Size: Under 40 MB recommended, 650 MB at most
Barcode area: 2 × 1.2 in, at least 1.4 × 0.8 in
Cover stock: 80 lb (220 GSM), glossy or matte

Source: KDP · Create a Paperback Cover · checked November 7, 2026

Where KDP's own pages disagree

KDP's help pages and calculators do not always give the same number. These are the cases we found and the value we use.

AI_DISCLOSURE
AI-generated content must be declared, even after substantial edits. AI-assisted content (the author made it and AI only edited or brainstormed) needs no declaration.
CATEGORIES
Chosen in KDP's category window after setting primary audience and marketplace; reading age limits Children's and Teen categories.
EBOOK_PRICES
The 70% band on Amazon.com is $2.99-$12.99 since July 7, 2026. Delivery rates come from the Digital Book Pricing Page, last updated April 21, 2026.
HARDCOVER_COVER
Case and spine additions are not published as a formula. They were derived from the calculator's output across trims and page counts, and match it exactly. The help page's 0.51 in wrap and 0.76 in barcode offset disagree with the calculator; the calculator is used.
HARDCOVER_TRIMS
Hardcover is not supported on kdp.amazon.co.jp.
JP_UNAVAILABLE_INTERIORS
The .co.jp table lists standard color but its note says it is currently unavailable.
KEYWORDS
The help page gives no character limit per keyword; the KDP form shows it. Words already in the title or categories add nothing.
METADATA
Neither the help pages nor this file give a description length limit; the KDP form shows it.
PAPERBACK_PRINT_COST
Rates are from the help page. Fixed-cost page limits and the JPY groundwood fixed cost follow KDP's royalty calculator, which differs from the help tables: fixed cost ends at 108 pages for black and groundwood (106 on Amazon.com.au), while the help page says 110 and 112. Standard color is not sold on Amazon.com.au.
PAPERBACK_TRIMS
On 8.27 x 11.69 the .com help table lists premium color 24-590, while the .co.jp table and KDP's royalty calculator both allow 24-780. The calculator value is used.
PRINT_ROYALTY.hardcover
The help page gives 98/99 SEK for Amazon.se; KDP's royalty calculator uses 110 SEK like paperback. The calculator value is used.
RTL_STANDARD_COLOR
Standard color with right-to-left reading is only offered on Amazon.co.jp.
SPINE_PER_PAGE
Standard color prints on the same lighter white paper as black-and-white books. The cover page and KDP's cover calculator both use 0.002252; the submission guidelines list a single 0.002347 for all color paper.
TITLE_LIMITS
Creation and submission limits are separate. Updates to submitted titles do not count; a saved draft counts when it is first submitted.

Change log

November 7, 2026 · First full check
All print, cover, pricing, royalty, metadata, language, low-content and AI disclosure rules were read from KDP's help pages and calculators and written down with their sources. Later changes will be listed here with the date we noticed them.