Amazon Guidelines

3.3 Table of Contents Guidelines
Publishing on Kindle: Guidelines for Publishers
Amazon strongly recommends the use of an HTML TOC for all books that would benefit from this
navigation feature. This applies to most books, with the exception of fixed-layout children's books (see
section 4) and fixed-layout graphic novels/manga/comics (see section 5).
3.3.1 TOC Guideline #1: Logical TOC (NCX) Is Mandatory
The logical table of contents is very important for a good reading experience, because it allows a reader
to navigate between chapters easily. All Kindle books should have both logical and HTML TOCs. Users
expect to see an HTML TOC when paging through a book from the beginning, while the logical table of
contents is an additional way for users to navigate books.
Logical tables of contents are generated using a navigational control file for XML application (NCX).
Creating an NCX exposes the hierarchical structure of a Kindle book and allows the user to navigate
through it.
In NCX-enabled books, users can see where they are in the book because the part, chapter, or section is
exposed. This progress indicator also shows relative progress through the book.
Logical tables of contents are part of the IDPF 2.0 specification and are described at
http://www.niso.org/workrooms/daisy/Z39-86-2005.html#NCX.
NCX Example:
AUTHOR'S NOTE
THE HOUSES, 1969
ROCK AND ROLL, 1962
THE EMPRESS, 1928–1947
The NCX example above defines the following TOC hierarchy:
AUTHOR'S NOTE
PART ONE
THE HOUSES, 1969
ROCK AND ROLL, 1962
THE EMPRESS, 1928–1947
This excerpt from the OPF (publication header file) shows how to add an NCX table of contents to a book.
Declare the NCX in the “manifest”:
Kindle Publishing Guidelines Amazon.com 13