If you are planning to publish a book on Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), it is important to understand what is allowed and what is not. Amazon has a clear set of content rules that every author, publisher, and selling partner must follow. This guide breaks down the official Amazon KDP content guidelines for 2026 in simple, easy-to-understand language — so you can publish with confidence.
What Are Amazon KDP Content Guidelines?
Amazon KDP content guidelines are the rules that decide what kind of books can be published and sold on the Amazon platform. These guidelines apply to everything related to your book — the text inside it, the cover image, the title, and even the product description.
Amazon uses a mix of automated tools, machine learning, and real human reviewers to check whether books follow these rules. If a book breaks the rules, it can be rejected before going live or removed after it is already published. Authors and publishers are always responsible for making sure their content follows these guidelines.
Who Is Responsible for Following the Rules?
Authors, publishers, and selling partners are all personally responsible for the content they submit to KDP. Amazon invests significant time and resources in content enforcement, but the legal and ethical responsibility remains with the person or organization publishing the book. If your book is removed, Amazon will notify you and give you the option to appeal the decision.
Illegal and Copyright-Infringing Content
Amazon takes legal violations very seriously. You must make sure your book does not break any laws or violate the rights of others. This includes copyright, trademark, brand identity, privacy, and publicity rights.
Key rules to keep in mind:
- Do not publish content that is under copyright and freely available online, unless you are the copyright owner.
- Companion books like summaries or study guides based on copyrighted works cannot be published outside the United States without written permission from the copyright holder.
- Translations of another work must credit both the translator and the original author. If the translator is unknown, list them as ‘Anonymous’ in the contributor field.
Offensive and Inappropriate Content
Amazon does not allow content that is harmful, offensive, or inappropriate. This type of content will be rejected or removed from the platform. The following types of content are strictly prohibited:
- Hate speech targeting individuals or groups
- Content that promotes the abuse or sexual exploitation of children
- Pornographic material
- Content that glorifies rape or pedophilia
- Material that supports or promotes terrorism
- Any other content Amazon considers inappropriate or harmful to customers
Amazon KDP Rules for AI-Generated Content in 2026
As AI writing and image tools become more common, Amazon has added specific rules about AI-generated content. Here is what you need to know:
When You Must Disclose AI Content
If you used an AI tool to create any of the actual content in your book — including the text, images, cover art, or translations — you must inform Amazon when you publish or update your book. This is called AI-generated content.
When You Do Not Need to Disclose AI Use
If you wrote or created the content yourself and only used AI tools to help edit, improve, check for errors, or brainstorm ideas — but the final content is your own work — this is called AI-assisted content. You do not need to report this to Amazon.
Quick Comparison: AI-Generated vs AI-Assisted
- AI-Generated: The AI tool created the text, image, or translation → You MUST disclose this to Amazon
- AI-Assisted: You created the content and used AI to help polish or improve it → No disclosure needed
Regardless of whether your content is AI-generated or AI-assisted, you are still fully responsible for making sure it follows all of Amazon’s content guidelines and does not break any intellectual property laws.
Providing a Good Customer Experience
Amazon wants every book on its platform to give customers a good experience. For that reason, the following types of content are not allowed:
- Misleading descriptions that do not accurately represent the book’s content
- Low-quality content that is typically disappointing to readers
- Inaccurate titles or cover images designed to trick customers
Amazon also reserves the right to change the categories assigned to any book at any time, to make sure customers can find the right content in the right place.
Publishing Public Domain Books on KDP
Public domain books — those no longer protected by copyright — are generally allowed on Amazon KDP. However, there is an important limitation: if a free version of that public domain book is already available in Amazon’s store, you cannot publish a basic, unchanged copy of the same text.
To publish a public domain title successfully, you need to add something new and valuable — such as original commentary, annotations, a new introduction, or updated formatting. Amazon may also ask you to provide proof that the work is indeed in the public domain.
Special Rule for Japan: Song Scores and Lyrics
If you are publishing on the Kindle Store in Japan, there is an extra rule to be aware of. Any content that includes musical scores or lyrics from songs managed by copyright management organizations — including JASRAC (the Japanese Society for Rights of Authors, Composers and Publishers) — is not permitted on the Japan Kindle Store.
How to Report a Book That Breaks the Rules
If you come across a book on Amazon that you believe violates these content guidelines, you can report it directly to Amazon. Amazon takes all reports seriously and will investigate any book flagged for potential violations of its policies.
Summary: What You Need to Remember as a KDP Publisher in 2026
Here is a quick recap of the most important points from the Amazon KDP content guidelines:
- You are responsible for making sure your book follows all laws and platform rules.
- Offensive, harmful, or illegal content will be rejected or removed.
- Disclose AI-generated content when publishing; AI-assisted content does not need disclosure.
- Do not mislead customers with inaccurate titles, covers, or descriptions.
- Public domain content is allowed, but only if your version adds something new.
- In Japan, books with copyrighted song scores or lyrics are not permitted on the Kindle Store.
- If your book is removed, you can appeal the decision.
Following these guidelines ensures your book stays live on Amazon and builds a trustworthy reputation as a publisher. When in doubt, always review the latest official Amazon KDP policies before submitting your work.