Amazon KDP accepts EPUB files exported from Deckle directly for Kindle publishing. You don't need to convert to a separate format first, as long as the file meets KDP's own formatting specifications.
What You'll Need
- A finished EPUB file (exported from your writing tool of choice).
- A separate cover image file, since KDP requires the cover to be provided independently from the manuscript file itself.
What KDP Actually Requires
Accepted formats. KDP accepts EPUB directly, alongside DOC/DOCX, Kindle Package Format (KPF, created via Kindle Create), HTML, RTF, plain text, and PDF (PDF is restricted to English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Catalan, Galician, and Basque). MOBI is being phased out: as of March 2025, KDP no longer accepts MOBI for fixed-layout eBooks.
Text formatting. KDP's own reflowable-EPUB guidelines call for relative units (percentages or ems) instead of fixed pixel or point values, so text reflows correctly across Kindle devices and font sizes. Margins should use percentages for left/right and ems for top/bottom, and shouldn't be forced on ordinary body text. Paragraph indents shouldn't exceed 4em.
Gray/colored text. If you use gray text, KDP specifies a hex range of roughly #666 to #999 for readable contrast, measured against a luminance formula (Y = 0.2126R + 0.7152G + 0.0722B, landing in the 102-153 range) rather than an arbitrary gray.
Page numbers. Only Roman or Arabic numerals are allowed in page-number tags: no added text like "Page," and no duplicate page labels.
Table of contents. KDP requires a logical table of contents in every eBook, and recommends an HTML TOC specifically for easy navigation.
Footnotes. KDP requires footnotes to be bidirectionally linked (the in-text reference links to the footnote, and the footnote links back), and recommends marking them with the HTML5 <aside> element and an epub:type attribute.
Cover image. Required separately from the manuscript file. KDP's own specs: ideal size 2,560px (height) × 1,600px (width), a 1.6:1 ratio, with a minimum of 1,000×625px and a maximum of 10,000×10,000px. Format must be TIFF or JPEG, RGB color, under 50MB.
A Couple of Things Worth Knowing
💡 EPUB doesn't need to become KPF before uploading. KDP lists EPUB as its own accepted format, separate from KPF. You don't need Kindle Create or a conversion step just because you're targeting Kindle. See Styling Your EPUB for KDP for how to actually configure Deckle to meet these specs.
💡 KDP's quality checks are automated, via what they call the Quality Notifications Dashboard. A book can pass upload and still get flagged for formatting issues afterward, so it's worth checking that dashboard even after a successful upload.
FAQ
Does Amazon KDP accept EPUB files, or do I need KPF specifically?
KDP accepts EPUB directly, as its own listed format alongside KPF, DOCX, and others. You don't need to convert to KPF first.
What's the ideal cover image size for KDP?
2,560px tall by 1,600px wide (a 1.6:1 ratio), in TIFF or JPEG format, RGB color space, under 50MB. The absolute minimum KDP accepts is 1,000×625px.
Does my EPUB need a table of contents to pass KDP's requirements?
Yes, KDP requires a logical table of contents in every eBook, and recommends an HTML-based one for navigation.