CoversLesson
How to check a cover before you upload it
On a cover, open Cover checks in the top bar, then click Check my cover in Download. The report names barcode, spine and trim problems before you upload.
In short
On a cover, click the Cover checks chip in the top bar to see what the editor already flags. Then open Download and click Check my cover to read the report before you upload.
KDP prints its own barcode over a reserved box on the back cover, trims the outer edge of the wrap, and prints spine lettering only on a thick enough book. A cover that looks finished on screen can still come back for one of those. Check my cover runs the same checks an export runs, and it does it before a file is made, so you can move the object first.
The named list inside Check my cover comes with Creator, Publisher, Studio and Founders' Lifetime. On every plan, including Free, the Cover checks chip still names what it finds on the cover, and Check my cover still says how many items there are.
Check the cover#
Open Cover checks
Open your cover. In the top bar, beside the save status, click the chip. A clear cover reads No problems found. When something is sitting in the wrong place, the chip shows a count instead, such as 2 to check. The button's name is Cover checks.
Select what it flagged
The panel lists each finding under its name: Barcode area, Spine text, Safe area, or Cover size & print boxes. A tag says which part of the wrap: Back cover, Spine, Front cover, or Whole cover. The line under the name says what is wrong. Click that row. The object it names is selected on the cover.
For a barcode finding, the cover already draws the zone: a hatched box labeled KDP barcode — keep clear. The selected object sits inside it.
The panel also says these findings do not block your export, and that the report at download time is the one to trust.
Run Check my cover
Click Check my cover. The button reads Exporting… while the check runs, then a report opens. The title is Looks good when nothing failed, Worth a look before you upload when the findings are warnings, or Not KDP-ready yet when something would stop an export.
A barcode or spine finding is a warning, so the title is Worth a look before you upload. The line under the title says the file still exports, and that KDP or a printer may handle these differently than you expect. Each problem is named, with Back cover, Spine or Front cover in front of the detail. When one name covers more than one object, the row adds a count such as 2 items.
Reading the report#
| In the report | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| No problems found | The chip sees nothing to flag on this cover right now |
| 2 to check | How many findings the chip is showing. The number matches how many rows are open |
| Barcode area | Something sits where KDP prints its own barcode on the back cover, and KDP will print that barcode over it |
| Spine text | Spine lettering KDP may reject. On a short book the line names the page count. On a thicker book it says the letters must stay clear of each fold |
| Safe area | Text that a small trim shift can cut, on the front cover or the back cover |
| Cover size & print boxes | The wrap is not the size this book needs, including its trim and bleed |
| Looks good | Every check passed. Nothing to fix before you upload |
| Worth a look before you upload | Warnings only. The file still exports |
| Not KDP-ready yet | Something would stop an export. Fix those rows before you download the print file |
The chip is a live look at the cover while you edit. Check my cover is the report an export would use. When the two disagree, trust the report. On the Free plan the report keeps the count and withholds the names.
Leave the report#
Click Close. Nothing on the cover changed, and no file was saved. To clear a finding, select the object, move it out of the area the row names, and run Check my cover again. A title of Looks good is the clear report. Closing the panel, or clicking Dismiss, does not produce that title.
For the rest of what KDP checks in a cover file, read KDP cover file requirements.
Common questions
Does Check my cover download a file or change the cover?
No. It only opens a report. The cover stays as it is, and nothing is saved to your computer.
Will a barcode or spine warning stop the download?
No. Those findings are warnings. The title reads Worth a look before you upload, and the file still exports. KDP can still reject that file when you upload it.
Does the Free plan name each problem?
No. Check my cover on the Free plan tells you how many items to review and says to upgrade to see what and where. The Cover checks chip still names cover findings on every plan. The named report comes with Creator, Publisher, Studio and Founders' Lifetime.
Can I put a title on the spine of a short book?
No. Spine text says KDP does not print spine text under 80 pages, and it names your page count. On a thicker book the same line says the letters must stay clear of each fold.
Does Looks good mean KDP will accept the file?
No. Looks good means every check we run has passed. The report is a check against KDP's published requirements, and KDP's own review is still the final word.
Try it on your own book
Open a book in SmartKDP and follow the steps above. It takes about 6 minutes.