Match the report title.
Look for "EPUB 3 nav item is missing properties="nav"" or the closest title listed above. If the platform wording is different, keep the original EPUBCheck, KDP, or Kindle Previewer message before choosing a fix.
EPUB TOC and navigation checks
Use this when KDP or Kindle Previewer says the table of contents is missing or navigation looks broken. Check nav.xhtml, toc.ncx, the OPF spine, and TOC targets before you rebuild anything.
The scan shows affected paths and repair decisions. It does not show manuscript text.
Not sure this kind of EPUB should be scanned here? Check unsupported or review-first EPUB cases.
Scan report titles
- EPUB 3 nav item is missing properties="nav"
- EPUB 2 NCX is not linked from the spine toc attribute
- spine toc missing EPUB
- ncx not in spine
- TOC target is not a spine item
- KDP EPUB missing table of contents
Read the scan report
How to decide whether this report item matches EPUB TOC and navigation checks.
Use the report label, affected file, and repair decision together. A matching title alone is not enough if the file path or EPUB structure points to a different problem.
Check the affected file first.
Use the report's Affected area, Source file, Target file, or Problem type rows before editing content.opf, nav.xhtml, toc.ncx, XHTML, CSS, or image paths.
Follow the repair decision.
Repairable means EPUB Fixer found one clear structural change. Needs review or Not supported means use the named file, source project, or platform step instead of guessing.
Repair summary
What to keep if this is not safely repairable.
Copy the report summary instead of rebuilding the fix from memory. A useful repair note keeps the source file, target file or field, original error, repair decision, and next step together.
Source file
Target path or field
Original error
Repair decision
Next step
1. Example report output
What the scanner checks.
The report should separate missing navigation files from broken OPF wiring and broken TOC targets.
nav.xhtml
The EPUB 3 table of contents file.
toc.ncx
The older EPUB 2 navigation file.
OPF manifest
The file list inside content.opf, including whether nav.xhtml has properties="nav".
Spine
The reading order Kindle follows and the place that can point to an NCX file.
Report may show
nav.xhtml exists, but content.opf does not declare it as the nav item.
A wiring repair can be safe when one existing navigation file clearly represents the book's TOC. Generating a missing TOC is not part of this first-stage scan.
2. Next step
Choose scan, wiring repair, or source TOC rebuild.
The next step depends on whether the EPUB already has a trustworthy navigation source.
Upload scan
KDP only says the TOC is missing.
Use the report to check nav.xhtml, toc.ncx, content.opf, spine toc wiring, and TOC link targets in one pass.
Repair
One existing navigation file is clearly intended.
Repair the OPF nav declaration, spine toc value, or simple target mismatch when the intended file is clear.
Manual review
The TOC source or reading order is unclear.
Return to the source tool or EPUB editor when chapter order, TOC titles, fixed-layout pages, or missing navigation files require editorial judgment.
3. Concrete path example
A TOC wiring report should name the navigation layer.
The same KDP symptom can come from nav.xhtml, toc.ncx, or the OPF spine.
KDP symptom: Table of contents is missing in Kindle Previewer. Report: Found: OEBPS/nav.xhtml OPF manifest: nav.xhtml exists but has no properties="nav" Spine: chapter order is present Fix decision: safe repair if nav.xhtml is the intended EPUB 3 TOC
If no trustworthy nav.xhtml or toc.ncx exists, rebuild the TOC in the source tool or EPUB editor instead of generating one from guessed headings.
Quick decision
Decide whether this is wiring or a missing source TOC.
A navigation file that exists but is not declared is different from an EPUB that never exported a real table of contents.
Scan first
The KDP message is broad.
Use the report to identify whether nav.xhtml, toc.ncx, OPF manifest, spine, or TOC link targets are involved.
Safe fix
One existing navigation file is clear.
Align the manifest nav property, NCX spine pointer, or simple TOC target when the report shows one intended source.
Stop
The EPUB lacks a reliable TOC source.
Do not generate a TOC, choose chapter titles, or reorder chapters from a scan report.
Start here
Check the navigation wiring before rebuilding the table of contents.
KDP can say the table of contents is missing even when chapter files are present. Upload the EPUB to see whether nav.xhtml, toc.ncx, the OPF manifest, and the spine agree.
What it means
The EPUB package is not exposing a valid navigation map. OPF manifest means the file list inside content.opf; nav.xhtml is the EPUB 3 table of contents file; toc.ncx is the older EPUB 2 navigation file; spine is the reading order Kindle follows.
Can it be fixed automatically?
EPUB Fixer can help when one existing nav.xhtml or toc.ncx file is clearly intended and only package wiring or a simple target mismatch needs correction.
What to check next
Look for nav.xhtml first in EPUB 3 files and toc.ncx in older EPUB 2 files.
What not to assume
It stops for manual review when the chapter order, TOC titles, target anchors, fixed-layout pages, or missing navigation source require someone to decide what the table of contents should be.
Common situations
Common TOC/navigation cases.
Start with the navigation file Kindle should use.
nav.xhtml exists but is not declared as nav.
content.opf lists the file as XHTML but does not mark it with properties="nav".
Add the nav property only when that file is the intended EPUB 3 table of contents.
toc.ncx exists but the spine does not point to it.
Older EPUBs can include an NCX file that Kindle ignores because the OPF spine has no toc value.
Set the spine toc value only when the NCX navPoint targets are valid.
A TOC entry points outside the reading order.
A nav or NCX entry can point to a file that is not part of the OPF spine.
Confirm whether the target should be in the reading order or removed from navigation.
TOC and navigation messages to compare
EPUB TOC/navigation issue: nav.xhtml, toc.ncx, OPF manifest, spine, or TOC targets are missing or disconnected.
Where TOC and navigation problems appear
KDP, Kindle Previewer, or EPUBCheck reports missing table of contents, missing nav property, disconnected NCX, navigation target errors, or a TOC entry that does not point to a valid reading-order file.
What it means
The EPUB may have chapters, but Kindle cannot find a valid navigation map.
The EPUB package is not exposing a valid navigation map. OPF manifest means the file list inside content.opf; nav.xhtml is the EPUB 3 table of contents file; toc.ncx is the older EPUB 2 navigation file; spine is the reading order Kindle follows.
Common causes include nav.xhtml missing properties="nav", toc.ncx not connected from the spine, TOC entries pointing to old chapter paths or missing anchors, and exports that never created a reliable navigation file.
Before you edit
Check nav.xhtml, toc.ncx, content.opf, and the spine together.
nav.xhtml is the EPUB 3 table of contents file. toc.ncx is the older EPUB 2 navigation file. The spine is the reading order Kindle follows.
- 1Look for nav.xhtml first in EPUB 3 files and toc.ncx in older EPUB 2 files.
- 2Open content.opf and check whether nav.xhtml is in the manifest with properties="nav".
- 3For EPUB 2, check whether the OPF spine has a toc value pointing to the NCX manifest id.
- 4Open several TOC entries and confirm they point to real chapter files and anchors.
- 5Compare the TOC order with the OPF spine order before changing links or reading order.
Why KDP checks it
Why Kindle checks navigation wiring.
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.
KDP eBook file formats
KDP supports EPUB files that meet Kindle Publishing Guidelines and recommends checking the file with Kindle Previewer before upload.
Can this be fixed safely?
When a TOC/navigation repair is safe.
When automatic repair is safe
EPUB Fixer can help when one existing nav.xhtml or toc.ncx file is clearly intended and only package wiring or a simple target mismatch needs correction.
When you need manual review
It stops for manual review when the chapter order, TOC titles, target anchors, fixed-layout pages, or missing navigation source require someone to decide what the table of contents should be.
Before / after example
Before: OEBPS/nav.xhtml exists and matches the chapter order, but content.opf does not declare properties="nav". After: the manifest identifies it as the EPUB 3 navigation file. Before: the EPUB has no nav.xhtml, no toc.ncx, and inconsistent headings; rebuild the TOC in the source tool.
Ready to retry?
Scan the EPUB for TOC and navigation wiring.
The scan checks whether the navigation files exist, whether content.opf declares them correctly, whether the spine points to toc.ncx when needed, and whether TOC links land on real spine items.
Upload EPUB to scanFAQ
Questions authors ask about TOC navigation.
Can EPUB Fixer generate a missing table of contents?
No. This first-stage entry checks and repairs clear wiring problems only. If the EPUB has no reliable TOC source, rebuild it in the source tool or EPUB editor.
What is nav.xhtml?
nav.xhtml is the EPUB 3 table of contents file. Kindle can ignore it when content.opf does not declare it with properties="nav".
What is toc.ncx?
toc.ncx is the older EPUB 2 navigation file. It may need to be connected from the OPF spine with the correct toc value.
What does spine toc missing EPUB usually mean?
It usually means toc.ncx exists, but content.opf does not connect the spine toc attribute to the right NCX manifest id. Start with the OPF spine and toc.ncx wiring before rebuilding the TOC.
Does this entry hide other errors?
No. It focuses the result on TOC and navigation by default, but package, manifest, fatal, broken-link, and unsupported issues still remain visible.