KDP Content Guidelines: What You Can and Can't Publish

Official Amazon KDP Guidelines: what you can and can't publish on KDP, in plain words. This is what KDP's own help page says, not a blog opinion.

By Gundi Gabrielle

5 min read

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The KDP content guidelines are Amazon's rules for what you may publish through Kindle Direct Publishing: no illegal or infringing content, no offensive content, nothing that gives readers a poor experience, and you must tell Amazon when your text, images, or translations are AI-generated.

They apply to your book content, including your title, cover art, and product description.

Why does Amazon have content guidelines?

As a bookseller, Amazon believes that giving access to the written word is important, even for content some people may find objectionable. It carefully considers the types of content it makes available in its stores and reviews its approach regularly, listening to feedback and looking into customer concerns. Amazon reserves the right to remove content from sale if it determines the content creates a poor customer experience.

Who enforces the KDP content guidelines?

Amazon does, and it checks books both before and after they go on sale.

• ✦Authors, publishers, and selling partners are responsible for following the guidelines.
• ✦Amazon invests significant time and resources in enforcing them, using "a combination of machine learning, automation, and dedicated teams of human reviewers."
• ✦Amazon will reject or remove content that doesn't follow the guidelines and will "promptly investigate any book when notified of potential noncompliance."
• ✦Amazon may also ask for more information about your book before it's available for sale.
• ✦If Amazon removes a title, it tells the author, publisher, or selling partner, and they can appeal the decision.

What about translations?

Credit everyone. A book that is a translation of another work must credit the translator and the original author in the contributor field. If the work isn't a new translation and the translator is unknown, the publisher should list the translator as "Anonymous" in the contributor field.

What counts as illegal or infringing content?

Content that breaks laws or someone's rights. Amazon takes violations of laws and proprietary rights very seriously. Authors, publishers, and selling partners must make sure their content doesn't violate laws or copyright, trademark, brand, privacy, publicity, or other rights.

• ✦Amazon won't accept copyrighted content that is "freely available on the web unless it's provided by the owner of the copyright."
• ✦Companion books based on copyrighted works (for example, summaries and study guides) can't be published outside the U.S. without written permission from the copyright holder.

What counts as offensive content?

Content Amazon considers inappropriate or offensive. Amazon doesn't sell certain content, including content that it determines:

• ✦Is speech that attacks people for who they are
• ✦Promotes the abuse or sexual exploitation of children
• ✦Contains pornography
• ✦Glorifies rape or pedophilia
• ✦Advocates terrorism
• ✦Is "other material we deem inappropriate or offensive"

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Do I have to disclose AI content to KDP?

You must tell KDP about AI-generated content. You do not have to tell it about AI-assisted content. The rule covers text, images, and translations. AI-generated images include cover and interior images and artwork. You tell KDP when you publish a new book or when you edit and republish an existing one through KDP.

• ✦AI-generated: KDP says: "We define AI-generated content as text, images, or translations created by an AI-based tool." If you used an AI-based tool to create the actual content (text, images, or translations), it's considered AI-generated, "even if you applied substantial edits afterwards."
• ✦AI-assisted: if you created the content yourself and used AI-based tools to edit, refine, error-check, or otherwise improve it (text or images), it's considered AI-assisted, not AI-generated. Likewise, if you used an AI-based tool to brainstorm and generate ideas but ultimately created the text or images yourself, that's AI-assisted too. KDP says: "You are not required to disclose AI-assisted content." It isn't necessary to tell KDP about using such tools or processes.

You are responsible for checking that all AI-generated and AI-assisted content follows all content guidelines, including all applicable intellectual property rights.

What does KDP mean by a poor customer experience?

Books for sale on Amazon should give customers a positive experience. KDP doesn't allow:

• ✦Descriptive content meant to mislead customers, or that doesn't accurately represent the content of the book
• ✦Content that is typically disappointing to customers, including the examples in the Guide to Kindle Content Quality

Amazon also reserves the right to change a book's categories at any time to make sure customers have a positive experience.

What are the rules for public domain content?

Public domain content is allowed, but not plain copies of free titles. Amazon allows content that is in the public domain and no longer under copyright. But to give customers a better experience, it won't allow undifferentiated versions of public domain titles if a free version is available in its store, as set out in its policies for Publishing Public Domain Content. Amazon may ask publishers to provide proof that the content is in the public domain.

What about scores and lyrics in Japan?

They can't be published. Content containing scores and lyrics from songs managed by copyright management companies, including JASRAC, cannot be published on the Kindle Store. This rule is for Japan only.

How do I report a book that breaks the rules?

Use the report link on KDP's page. If you believe a book violates the guidelines, KDP asks you to report it.

Where are the guidelines for other products?

KDP lists guidelines for other categories of products on these pages:

• ✦Offensive and Controversial Materials
• ✦Community Guidelines
• ✦Amazon Web Services
• ✦Prime Video Direct
• ✦Amazon Registry

What this means for you

• ✦Check every image, quote, and source for rights before you upload.
• ✦Know the difference between AI-generated and AI-assisted, and disclose AI-generated content.
• ✦Describe your book honestly in your title, cover, and description.
• ✦Keep proof handy if Amazon asks about public domain content.

Related reading

• Can You Publish AI Books on Amazon KDP?
• AI-Generated Books and the Amazon Algorithm
• Amazon KDP Publishing Guide
• Amazon KDP Publishing Guidelines: Every Rule in One Place

Follow the KDP content guidelines from the start and you lower the risk of having a book rejected or removed.

Ready to publish? Sign up for KDP and start for free.

Source: KDP Help: Content Guidelines — checked October 13, 2026.

Created By

Gundi Gabrielle

Top 100 Business Author · Carnegie Hall Conductor · Founder of Golden Bestseller Empire

Hey, I'm Gundi, and for over a decade, I've helped thousands of everyday people turn what they know into a bestselling book.

Along the way, I sold over 350,000 books, and was listed in Amazon's Top 100 Business Author Charts, ahead of authors like Simon Sinek, Brené Brown, Tim Ferriss, Robert Kiyosaki, or Brian Tracy.

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In my earlier years, I was a classical conductor & organist, touring the world, incl. Carnegie Hall & a performance for the Pope on St. Peter's Square.

These days, I love traveling as a Digital Nomad and orchestrating busy AI Agents 😎. Out of that came Golden Bestseller Empire — a complete AI-Powered Book Publishing Studio now helping authors around the world.

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