TOC Hyperlink Issues in KDP EPUB Export from InDesign 2024

[Jan38488587r567]

Hi everyone,

I'm seeking assistance with properly setting up a Table of Contents (TOC) for KDP using InDesign 2024. I'm exporting a fixed-layout EPUB, and while the TOC works fine on my Mac in the Apple Books app, the hyperlinks become non-functional once I upload the file to KDP.

To begin, I understand that no two EPUB readers interpret and render books the same way. I'm specifically building this book exclusively for KDP and would like to avoid working with a more 'vanilla' reader like Calibre which I have not use yet.

Although I'm not a professional graphic designer, I have some experience with InDesign for smaller projects, having used it since my college days. However, this is my first EPUB project, and I'd greatly appreciate a concrete guide. My expertise mainly lies in print and smaller digital projects.

Unfortunately, Amazon KDP support hasn't been helpful, and it seems there's a significant structural issue. The support agents change with every contact request, even if only minutes apart, and they're unable to provide any insights regarding InDesign to KDP. Despite this, I'd like to complete this project here, as I've invested considerable time in both the print version and the ebook. Unfortunately, only Amazon offers the combination of both formats.

Thank you in advance for any assistance!

Best regards
Jan

<Title renamed by MOD>

[James Gifford—NitroPress]

Yeah, KDP support is the classic 'rubber crutch' and still not funny. And the support community thinks InDesign is a lousy tool and/or "overkill." Sigh.

THIRD UPDATE: It looks as if TOC generation for FXL is possible, but convoluted. I have succesfully created in-text TOCs that work in both Thorium EPUB reader and Kindle Previewer, but there are some very weird interactions between TOC definitions for dynamic (reader) and in-text (visible) TOCs. Dynamic TOCs are trivial and work fine; visible TOCs work fine in Thorium and Calibre readers (but the blue/underline comes and goes), and under the right circumstances, the visible TOC works in Kindle Previewer BUT (as is common with the previewer) requires a double-click to activate.

I think either FXL export from ID or Kindle (Previewer) has changed something, and it may not be easily fixable.

I don't really enjoy spending time on FXL EPUB issues, but I will sort this out tomorrow. Stay tuned.

Until then, the relevant fragment of my original post:

I won't bother to lecture that in-text TOCs are redundant and unnecessary in e-books...

E-books, even page-facsimile ones, should really rely on the dynamic reader TOC, which does work and has many advantages. Consider just dropping the redundant, possibly never-working in-text TOC for the dynamic one.

[James Gifford—NitroPress]

Okay, too much frustrating experimentation later:

• InDesign will export TOCs to FXL EPUB, and just as well as for reflowable. You can have both a dynamic TOC and an in-text TOC with live links, using the same or different TOC definitions. However, it works only in EPUB readers (Calibre and Thorium). The links do not show blue/highlighted in either reader.
• Despite one fluke event, it does not appear that in-text TOCs work in Kindle, at least as far as Kindle Previewer. (I am almost certain I had it working in one export, but I can't replicate it and I may have made some irritated/tired mistake.)
• It is probably possible to hack and patch the TOC to work in Kindle, but I disparage and deprecate all forms of EPUB surgery, so you're on your own there.

My conclusion/summary is that a displayed TOC is an unnecessary element in an e-book, possibly excepting technical and reference books where a complete listing of contents is helpful in (meta-)locating desired content. I would advocate for letting a good, fairly deep (third-level headings or more) dynamic TOC carry the load in all cases, and including a text TOC only as a quick guide or esthetic fillip. Just leave it out... and thus any hassles with the TOC working in Kindle become moot. Maybe that's even why it doesn't work there, given KDP's opaque inscrutability. 🙂

[Jan38488587r567]

Hi James,

Thank you so much for your amazing help. Your helped far beyond the KDP support!

I'll follow your suggestion and stick to a third-level TOC – that seems like the best solution.

Do you happen to have a tutorial you could recommend? So far, I've only created print TOCs, and the digital version is still new to me.

Thanks again and best regards!

[James Gifford—NitroPress · Accepted solution]

I don't have a tutorial handy  — maybe I should extract one for the web page — but it's no different from a regular TOC in most respects. On the sample below —

• Be sure to name and save the style ("EPUB") so that the settings are saved and you can reference it in the Export menu.
• Leave the overall title blank and set it to "no paragraph style" — it basically doesn't exist in an EPUB.
• Set EACH LEVEL to "No Page Number," which will gray out all the other settings.
• Check "Create PDF Bookmarks" and "Make Text Anchor."

Other than choosing your TOC heading levels and making sure they're assigned to a hierarchy with the Level field, that's all there is to it. You can easily preview it in Kindle Previewer and make any changes you like.

[Jan38488587r567]

Awesome, I think I got it, that sounds totally doable for me.