What it means
The EPUB does not expose the navigation file that tells readers and publishing systems where the table of contents lives.
EPUB error guide
EPUB missing nav document
Use this when EPUBCheck, KDP, or Kindle Previewer says the EPUB navigation document is missing. Check nav.xhtml, the OPF manifest, and the spine before rebuilding the TOC.
Scan the EPUB to check file paths and see what can be repaired or needs manual review. Your original EPUB stays unchanged.
No signup before the scan report.Your original file is not overwritten.Repair download only after EPUBCheck passes again.
Need fixed-layout, DRM, or source-file help? Check unsupported or review-first EPUB cases.
Match these report titles
- EPUB missing nav document
- nav.xhtml is missing from the EPUB
- Missing EPUB 3 navigation document
- KDP missing navigation document
Start here
Check whether the navigation file exists before rebuilding the TOC.
EPUB 3 uses a navigation document, often nav.xhtml, so reading systems can expose the table of contents. A missing nav file can make KDP reject a book even when chapters exist.
Can it be fixed automatically?
It can be repaired when one valid navigation file already exists, or when a flat nav can be generated from the existing OPF spine and one unambiguous title for every reading-order page.
What to check next
Search the EPUB for nav.xhtml or another XHTML file that contains epub:type="toc".
What not to assume
It is unsafe when headings, chapter titles, hierarchy, or reading order need author judgment.
1. Example report output
What a missing nav document report should show.
The report should distinguish a missing file from a file that exists but is not declared.
Validator message
The EPUB 3 navigation document is missing.
Affected area
content.opf manifest and nav.xhtml path.
EPUB Fixer report
No manifest item has properties="nav" and no nav.xhtml file is packaged.
Do this next
Generate a flat nav only when the spine order and every reading-order page title are unambiguous.
Do not do this
Do not create a table of contents from random file order or decorative headings.
Safe repair requires one existing nav file to reconnect, or a complete spine with one unambiguous title for every page so a flat nav can be generated without inventing hierarchy.
2. Next step
Decide whether nav.xhtml is missing or only disconnected.
Those two cases need different fixes.
Scan first
Search for nav files.
Check whether nav.xhtml exists under a different folder, name, or case.
Safe repair
A nav file exists but is disconnected.
Declare or reconnect the existing nav file when it is clearly the intended navigation document.
Generate or review
No reliable navigation file exists.
Generate a flat nav only when spine order and every page title are unambiguous. Return to the source tool when titles, hierarchy, or reading order need choices.
3. Concrete path example
A typical missing nav.xhtml failure.
The OPF points to no EPUB 3 navigation document.
Validator: EPUB 3 navigation document is missing. Report: content.opf manifest properties="nav": not found Packaged nav.xhtml: not found toc.ncx: present Fix decision: generate a flat nav only if spine order and every page title are unambiguous After: add the flat nav and OPF wiring, then validate again
If only toc.ncx exists, do not assume it is enough for EPUB 3 platform expectations.
Quick decision
Do not generate a TOC when the chapter structure is unclear.
A navigation document is user-facing, so wrong entries can make the book harder to use even if validation passes.
Scan first
Find existing navigation files.
Search for nav.xhtml, toc.ncx, and OPF manifest properties before editing.
Safe fix
The intended nav is present.
Reconnect or declare the navigation file when the target is obvious.
Stop
The TOC needs author choices.
Do not guess titles, hierarchy, or chapter boundaries from weak file names.
Common situations
Common missing nav document cases.
Missing nav errors often follow export, cleanup, or EPUB 2 to EPUB 3 conversion.
nav.xhtml was removed during cleanup.
The OPF and chapters remain, but the navigation file is gone.
Generate a flat nav only from a complete spine and one unambiguous title per page; otherwise regenerate from the source project.
nav.xhtml exists under another path.
The file may be present but not declared as the EPUB navigation document.
Reconnect it only when its contents are clearly the book TOC.
Only toc.ncx exists.
An older EPUB 2 navigation file may not satisfy EPUB 3 expectations.
Create EPUB 3 nav only when the spine order and every page title provide the exact flat entries.
KDP says the TOC is missing.
The visible issue may be missing nav.xhtml rather than missing chapters.
Scan OPF and navigation wiring before rebuilding the book.
Missing nav document error text
EPUB navigation document is missing / nav.xhtml is missing.
Where missing nav.xhtml errors appear
KDP, Kindle Previewer, or EPUBCheck cannot find an EPUB 3 navigation document in the package.
What it means
The EPUB 3 navigation file is absent or no longer packaged.
The nav file may be missing, removed from the OPF manifest, named differently, or never generated by the export tool.
Before you edit
Check nav.xhtml, manifest, and TOC links together.
A safe fix needs either one real navigation file or an existing spine order with one unambiguous title for every reading-order page. Do not invent hierarchy or titles.
- 1Search the EPUB for nav.xhtml or another XHTML file that contains epub:type="toc".
- 2Open content.opf and check for a manifest item with properties="nav".
- 3Compare nav links with actual chapter files and anchors.
- 4Check whether toc.ncx is present but the EPUB 3 nav is missing.
- 5Stop if the book's chapter hierarchy cannot be determined from package evidence.
Why KDP checks it
Why KDP checks the EPUB navigation document.
EPUB 3.3 package rules
The OPF file is the EPUB's map: metadata, file list, reading order, and navigation wiring. KDP and EPUBCheck use it to decide whether the book package is coherent.
EPUBCheck
EPUBCheck checks EPUB 2 and EPUB 3 files against the official rules and reports package, markup, link, and file-reference problems.
KDP eBook file formats
KDP supports EPUB files that meet Kindle Publishing Guidelines and recommends checking the file with Kindle Previewer before upload.
Repair example
When a missing nav document can be repaired safely.
Before / after example
Before: no nav document is declared or packaged. After: a valid nav is connected only when the intended TOC structure is clear.
Ready to retry?
Scan the EPUB before rebuilding nav.xhtml.
Upload the EPUB that failed. The report should show whether nav.xhtml is missing, undeclared, or present under another path, and whether the spine and page titles can support deterministic flat generation.
Upload EPUB to scanFAQ
Questions authors ask about missing nav.xhtml.
What is nav.xhtml in an EPUB?
It is the EPUB 3 navigation document. It usually contains the table of contents that reading systems and publishing platforms use.
Can EPUB Fixer create a missing nav.xhtml?
Only as a flat navigation document when the OPF spine already gives one clear reading order and every reading-order page has one unambiguous title. It does not invent hierarchy; incomplete or unclear inputs belong in the source tool.
Is toc.ncx enough if nav.xhtml is missing?
Not always. toc.ncx is the older EPUB 2 navigation file, while EPUB 3 expects a navigation document declared in the OPF manifest.
Why does KDP say the TOC is missing if chapters exist?
Chapters can exist as files while the EPUB navigation layer is missing or disconnected from the package.