The KDP Manuscript Pre-flight Checker is a free guided self-audit that walks 30 documented Amazon KDP rejection triggers across 4 layers (interior file, cover file, listing metadata, content policy) and emits pass / fail / verify per check with a fix recommendation. Catches the issues Amazon's opaque pre-flight process rejects before you upload, before a wasted proof copy, and before a post-launch takedown.
Last updated: June 2026
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The PDF that contains the coloring pages, front matter, and back matter. Most rejections happen here.
Does every full-bleed page include 0.125 inch (3.2 mm) of bleed on the 3 outer edges (top, bottom, outside)?
If any line-art element touches the page edge, the file must include bleed. Pages with safe inner margins (no art touching edges) do not need bleed.
Does your gutter (inside) margin meet the page-count minimum (0.375 inch for 24-150 pages, 0.5 inch for 151-400, 0.625 inch for 401+)?
The gutter is the inside margin nearest the spine. Going below the minimum causes pre-flight rejection.
Are all interior images at 300 DPI or higher at their printed size?
AI-generated coloring pages are often 1024 x 1024 or similar. At 300 DPI, that prints at only 3.4 inches square. Upscale before assembly.
Are all fonts embedded in the interior PDF?
In Acrobat: File > Document Properties > Fonts. Every font should say "Embedded" or "Embedded Subset". If any says "Not Embedded", fix before upload.
Does the PDF's page size exactly match the KDP trim size you selected at upload?
For 8.5 x 11 trim with bleed, document size = 8.625 x 11.25 inches. For 8 x 10 trim with bleed, document size = 8.125 x 10.25 inches.
Is the total interior page count an even number (multiple of 2)?
KDP rejects odd page counts because each printed sheet has 2 sides. Add a blank back-matter page if needed.
Have you kept all line-art elements at least 0.5 inch away from the spine edge?
The spine curves art into the binding. Art placed in the gutter cannot be colored because the book will not lie flat.
Have you kept all critical line-art at least 0.125 inch inside the trim line (out of the bleed area)?
Bleed extends past the trim. Anything in the bleed area gets cropped off during cutting.
Is your black-and-white interior file in true grayscale or pure black (not RGB or CMYK with residual color)?
RGB black often prints with a slight color tint at the black-ink rate. Pure grayscale or 100% K-only prints cleanly.
Does the interior include a title page and copyright page (front matter) before the first coloring design?
Most coloring books include 4-6 front matter pages (title, copyright, "how to use", "about the artist") before page 1 of designs.
Each check is a single yes / no / unsure / N/A question about your manuscript or listing. Yes confirms a pass on items that should be present (bleed, gutter, DPI); no confirms a pass on items that should be absent (trademarks, keyword stuffing). Unsure on a critical check still counts as a fail because the publisher must verify before upload. Critical fails (bleed, gutter, trim, spine math, 249 byte cap, trademarks, AI disclosure) drive the overall risk score; high-severity fails push it up; medium warnings nudge it.
Interior file is layer 1 (bleed, gutter, DPI, fonts, trim, page count) and accounts for most pre-upload rejections. Cover file is layer 2 (spine math, bleed, ISBN block, dimensions) and the second most common rejection trigger. Listing metadata is layer 3 (title stuffing, keyword bytes, category fit, age range) and causes search suppression rather than upload rejection. Content policy is layer 4 (trademarks, AI disclosure, derivative content) and triggers post-launch takedowns weeks or months after publication, often without warning.
The pre-flight checker runs before any KDP upload attempt and audits whether the manuscript and cover files will clear KDP's pre-flight without rejection. The KDP launch checklist runs after upload and audits whether the listing is ready to go live (proof copy ordered, indexing wait completed, ads timed, categories locked, description finalized). Use the pre-flight first to avoid wasting a proof copy on a rejection-bound file; use the launch checklist second to avoid wasting launch momentum on an incomplete listing.
| Tier | Meaning | When it triggers |
|---|---|---|
| Critical | Guaranteed rejection or post-launch takedown | Bleed, gutter, trim, spine, 249 byte cap, trademarks, AI disclosure, derivative content |
| High | Very likely rejection or quality demotion in search | Font embedding, page count parity, gutter art placement, category mismatch, age range mismatch |
| Medium | Warning, soft demotion, or risk of reader complaints | RGB vs grayscale, missing front matter, description claims, public-domain citations |
Audit clean? Calculate the exact specs (trim, bleed, spine, cover dimensions) for upload with the KDP specs calculator, then validate the 7 backend keyword slots with the keyword optimizer, lock the 3 category picks with the category browser, and run the full 25-point launch checklist before going live. For the format-side deep dive on every rejection trigger, see KDP coloring book format: trim size, bleed, rejections. For the 6 ways bleed specifically fails (the top rejection trigger), see KDP bleed mistakes that cause rejection. For the content-policy side and how to handle the AI Content question correctly, see the KDP AI content disclosure deep dive.
Manuscript clean and ready to print? Start a free account and generate the interior pages at the 300 DPI KDP requires, in any bold-and-easy or detailed style, ready to drop straight into upload.
Rule-set reflects Amazon KDP's 2026 US marketplace pre-flight and content policy. Treat the audit as a screening pass. Always run a proof copy before going live, because a $3 to $7 proof catches the print-quality issues a digital audit cannot.