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KDP publishing help

Look Inside: how the preview works, why it disappears, and how to make it sell.

The Look Inside sample is your book's try-before-you-buy. Questions about it — why it vanished, why the pages are wrong — repeat constantly in the KDP community.

Checked:

Amazon chooses the preview, not youWhy the feature can disappear after an updateMake the first pages sell the whole book
Your DOCX is inspected in this browser first

Upload the real manuscript. See where KDP will kill it.

You get the full interior preview, a wrap cover, and a clear not-upload-safe list. $39 unlocks this exact book immediately. Image-led files stay on the $99 scoped path.

How the preview is built

Amazon generates Look Inside from the submitted file. The sample usually covers the front matter and the first chapters; you cannot pick the exact pages. A+ content and the preview are separate features.

  • The sample is generated, not hand-picked
  • Front matter quality shows up first
  • Kindle and print previews differ

Why it disappears or shows wrong pages

After a file update the preview rebuilds and can temporarily vanish or display old pages. Formatting that breaks at the start of the file, such as a huge front matter, also stretches the sample into pages nobody reads.

Make the preview sell

Keep the first five pages tight: a strong opening page, a clean title page, and a first chapter that starts fast. Buyers judge the book on exactly these pages.

Next release checks

Free manuscript release preview

See where KDP will reject your file before you pay to unlock it.

Upload the real DOCX. You get a kill list, the full interior, a wrap cover, and a clear notice that this is not upload-safe until you pay.Open check

KDP troubleshooting

Fix KDP upload errors by decoding the message.

Every KDP rejection names a specific defect. Decode it, fix that defect, and resubmit.Open check

Free DOCX preflight

KDP book formatter preflight for your Word manuscript.

Open the DOCX you intend to publish. Find hidden comments, tracked changes, missing heading structure, and suspiciously short content without uploading the manuscript.Open check

Free launch diagnoser

Find out why the book is not selling, then fix it in order.

"0 sales" is the most repeated launch complaint in the KDP community. The diagnoser scores the launch and returns the actions in the order they matter.Open check

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Why did my Look Inside feature suddenly disappear?

It usually rebuilds after a file or metadata update. Wait 24–72 hours before treating it as broken.

Can I choose which pages Look Inside shows?

No. Amazon generates the sample automatically. You can only control it indirectly through your front matter and opening pages.

Why does Look Inside show my book differently from the file?

The preview renders from the submitted source file with Amazon's reader settings, so font and spacing differ from your design view.

Does Look Inside hurt sales by giving the book away?

Most authors see it as a net win: readers sample and then buy. The sample is limited to the opening portion.

See your preview before Amazon does.

Generate a three-page preview from your manuscript in the browser.

Preview three pages