Kindle or Ebook Table of Contents Not Working? Here’s What to Check

There are several different problems authors describe as “my Kindle table of contents is not working”:

• the contents page is visible but its chapter names are not clickable;
• the links work, but the Kindle Go To menu is empty;
• a link opens the wrong chapter or lands halfway down a page;
• some chapters are missing;
• Kindle Create did not recognise chapter titles;
• the Word table of contents shows print page numbers that make no sense in an ebook.

The correct fix depends on which table of contents has failed.

Kindle ebooks have two table-of-contents experiences

1. The visible contents page

This is an ordinary page near the beginning of the book. Readers see a list of chapters and tap the links. Amazon calls this an HTML TOC.

2. The logical or navigation TOC

This powers the Kindle menu and lets a reader navigate from anywhere in the book. In a modern EPUB, it comes from the navigation document. Amazon’s table-of-contents guidance distinguishes the visible page from the Kindle Interactive TOC.

You may include both. The navigation TOC is the essential one. A visible contents page is especially helpful for nonfiction, collections and books whose structure readers need to scan.

Simple Ebook Table of Contents Example

A visible ebook contents page does not need print page numbers. A straightforward nonfiction example might contain:

• Introduction
• Chapter 1: The Starting Point
• Chapter 2: Building the Process
• Chapter 3: Common Problems
• Conclusion
• About the Author

Each item should be a real internal link. The navigation TOC can use the same chapter hierarchy even when you decide not to show a visible contents page in a simple novel. Keep labels concise and make them match the chapter headings readers encounter in the book.

For placement alongside title, copyright and dedication pages, see the ebook front-matter guide.

Why the Kindle Go To menu is empty

If the visible links work but the device menu does not, the EPUB may lack a valid navigation document, the document may not be declared correctly, or it may contain no usable chapter entries.

In a Word or Kindle Create workflow, chapter recognition usually begins with consistent headings. If some chapter titles are merely enlarged body text rather than actual headings, automatic navigation can skip them.

Why chapter links are not clickable

A typed list of chapter names is not a table of contents. Each entry needs a real internal hyperlink to a unique destination. Common causes of dead links include:

• the author manually typed the contents page but never created links;
• Word bookmarks were deleted during editing;
• chapter names changed after the TOC was generated;
• the converter stripped or rewrote internal anchors;
• the link points to an element that no longer exists.

Why a TOC link opens the wrong place

Every target inside an EPUB should be unique. Duplicate IDs, copied chapter templates and links aimed at a nearby paragraph can all create unexpected landings. The destination should normally be the chapter heading itself, positioned at the intended chapter opening.

If the reader lands a few lines lower than expected, inspect where the anchor is attached. If several links open the same chapter, inspect the destinations for duplicate identifiers.

How to fix a Kindle TOC in Microsoft Word

1. Apply the same heading style—normally Heading 1—to every main chapter title.
2. Use lower heading levels only for genuine subsections.
3. Delete a manually typed or outdated TOC.
4. Insert or regenerate Word’s automatic table of contents from the heading structure.
5. Remove print page numbers if they will be meaningless in the reflowable ebook.
6. Save a fresh DOCX and test the converted result in Kindle Previewer.

Amazon’s Word formatting guide specifically recommends Heading 1 for chapter titles because it supports later TOC creation.

How to fix a TOC in Kindle Create

When importing a manuscript, review which titles Kindle Create identified as chapters. Add or remove chapter entries as necessary, then regenerate the contents and use the Preview function. Do not assume that visually large text was automatically understood as a chapter.

How to fix the navigation in an EPUB

An EPUB repair requires more than editing the visible contents page. Check that:

• the navigation file exists and is listed in the package document;
• the navigation section is identified as the TOC;
• every target file and fragment exists;
• all identifiers are unique;
• entries appear in the intended hierarchy;
• the EPUB validates after the changes.

A missing fragment can produce an EPUBCheck RSC-012 message. The RSC-012 guide explains that error in more detail.

Do novels need a visible contents page?

A novel may not need a prominent page listing “Chapter 1, Chapter 2…” if that page adds little value. It still needs logical Kindle navigation. Nonfiction, anthologies, cookbooks and reference books usually benefit from both forms because readers move between sections more often.

Final TOC testing checklist

• Open every link on the visible contents page.
• Open the Kindle navigation menu and check every listed chapter.
• Confirm that no chapter is missing or duplicated.
• Test front matter and major subsections when they belong in navigation.
• Try more than one screen size and font setting.
• Validate the EPUB and preview the exact upload file.

A working table of contents is not merely a list at the front. It is a connected navigation system built from clean document structure. Fixing the headings and destinations usually fixes the reader experience as well.