Amazon requires every KDP author to disclose whether their book contains AI-generated text, images, or translations, but not content that AI merely assisted with, like grammar checks or brainstorming. Enforcement has tightened significantly through 2025 and 2026, and undisclosed AI content can now get a book removed or an account suspended. This guide walks through exactly what counts, where to declare it, and how to check your existing catalog for compliance.
This matters for any author who has used ChatGPT, Claude, Midjourney, or a similar tool anywhere in their writing, cover design, or translation process, whether that book was published last month or three years ago.
Quick Answer
Amazon KDP requires you to check an AI disclosure box during the publishing process if any part of your book’s manuscript text, cover art, interior artwork, or translation was created by an AI tool, even if you edited it afterward. You do not need to disclose AI use that was limited to proofreading, grammar correction, outlining, or general editing assistance. The disclosure is internal to Amazon and does not appear to readers, and it does not affect your royalty rate, pricing, categories, or search ranking. Failing to disclose required AI content, however, can result in the book being removed or your account being flagged for review.
What Counts as “AI-Generated” vs “AI-Assisted” Content?
Amazon draws a specific line between two categories, and the distinction determines whether you need to disclose anything at all.
AI-generated content is anything where an AI tool produced the actual material that appears in your finished book, even if you revised it substantially afterward. This includes full chapters or passages drafted by an AI writing tool, cover or interior artwork created with an AI image generator, and translated editions produced by an AI translation tool.
AI-assisted content is work where AI supported your process but did not create the material that ends up on the page. This includes using AI for grammar and spell-checking, brainstorming plot ideas or titles, outlining chapters, or getting editing suggestions that you rewrote in your own words.
| Category | Examples | Disclosure required? |
| AI-generated | Manuscript text drafted by an AI tool (even after edits), AI-generated cover or interior art, AI-produced translations | Yes |
| AI-assisted | Grammar and spell-check tools, brainstorming and outlining help, general editing suggestions you rewrote yourself | No |
If you are unsure which category your book falls into, the practical test is authorship: did the AI tool produce the words, images, or translated text that readers will see, or did it only help you produce your own?
What You Must Disclose to KDP
- Manuscript text where an AI tool generated any portion of the content that appears in the final book
- Cover or interior images created using an AI image generator, even if you edited them afterward in design software
- Translated editions where an AI translation tool produced the translated text, rather than a human translator
What You Don’t Need to Disclose
- Using AI tools like Grammarly, ProWritingAid, or similar software strictly for grammar, spelling, or punctuation correction
- Using AI to brainstorm titles, taglines, or marketing copy that isn’t part of the book’s actual content
- Using AI for research, outlining, or structural feedback that you then wrote yourself
- General developmental or line editing feedback from an AI tool that you incorporated in your own words
Where the Disclosure Question Appears in the KDP Workflow
- Sign in to your KDP Bookshelf and start or edit a title.
- Go to the Content section of the publishing workflow, the same step where you upload your manuscript file.
- Below the manuscript upload area, you will see a question asking whether your book includes AI-generated content.
- Select the option that matches your book: no AI-generated content, or specify whether the AI content is text, images, or translations.
- Complete the rest of your listing as usual and submit for publishing or republishing.
This step applies both to new titles and to existing books you edit and republish, so updating an older listing can trigger the same disclosure requirement.
Why Amazon Introduced This Policy
The policy followed a period of rapid growth in low-effort AI-generated books flooding Kindle Unlimited and the broader KDP catalog, which drew sustained criticism from the Authors Guild and other author advocacy groups. Amazon added the disclosure requirement to its content guidelines to create more transparency for readers and to give the platform a way to track how much AI-generated material is being published, without banning AI tools outright. Amazon has described the distinction between AI-generated and AI-assisted content as a deliberate attempt to avoid penalizing authors who use AI as a normal part of their editing or research process.
Does Disclosure Hurt Your Book’s Visibility or Royalties?
No. The AI disclosure checkbox is an internal record for Amazon and is not shown to readers on your book’s product page. Checking the box does not change your royalty rate, your book’s pricing, its category placement, or its position in search results. The only risk comes from not disclosing AI-generated content when you were required to.
What Happens If You Don’t Disclose
Enforcement has moved from sporadic to active since 2025, and Amazon has run sweeps of existing catalogs looking for undisclosed AI content, not just new submissions. Consequences for authors found with undisclosed AI-generated material can include:
- The book being removed from sale without advance warning
- The listing being flagged for manual review before it can go live again
- Repeated or serious non-disclosure contributing to account-level restrictions
Because retroactive reviews of older titles are part of current enforcement, a book you published years ago with AI-generated elements is not automatically exempt just because it predates the policy.
How to Audit Your Backlist for Compliance
- List every published title and note which tools, if any, touched the manuscript, cover, or any translated edition.
- For each title, separate AI involvement into “generated the content” versus “assisted my process,” using the definitions above.
- Update the AI disclosure setting on any title where AI generated text, artwork, or translated content, even if you made substantial edits afterward.
- Keep a simple internal note of your reasoning for each title, in case you need to revisit the decision later.
- Repeat this check whenever you republish an existing title or add a new edition, such as a translation or an updated cover.
Common Mistakes Authors Make With AI Disclosure
- Assuming that heavy editing after using an AI tool removes the need to disclose. It does not; Amazon’s definition covers AI-generated content even after substantial revision.
- Overlooking AI-generated cover art because the focus is usually on manuscript text.
- Forgetting to update the disclosure setting when republishing an older title with a new cover or translated edition.
- Treating AI-assisted brainstorming or grammar tools as if they required disclosure, which creates unnecessary confusion during the publishing process.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Amazon ban AI-generated content on KDP?
No. Amazon allows AI-generated text, images, and translations as long as they are disclosed during the publishing process. The policy is about transparency, not prohibition.
Will readers see that my book used AI?
No. The disclosure is recorded internally by Amazon and is not displayed on your book’s product page.
Do I need to disclose if I used AI only for editing suggestions?
No. Editing suggestions that you rewrote in your own words fall under AI-assisted use, which does not require disclosure.
What if I’m not sure whether my book qualifies as AI-generated?
Ask whether the AI tool produced the actual words, images, or translated text that appear in the finished book. If it did, even with later edits, disclosure is required.
Does disclosure affect my royalty rate?
No. Disclosing AI-generated content does not change your royalty percentage, pricing, or category eligibility.
Do I need to redo the disclosure every time I update my book?
You should confirm the disclosure setting is still accurate whenever you republish a title, including for new covers or translated editions.
Can I use AI-generated cover art without disclosing it?
No. AI-generated cover or interior artwork requires disclosure, even if you made changes to it afterward in design software.
Final Thoughts
AI tools are now a normal part of many authors’ writing and publishing process, and Amazon’s disclosure policy is designed to work alongside that reality rather than against it. The requirement only affects content that AI actually generated, not content it helped you think through or clean up. Reviewing your manuscript, cover art, and any translated editions against the guidelines above is the simplest way to stay compliant and keep your books listed without interruption.
If you’re preparing a new manuscript or reviewing an existing one and want a second set of eyes on editing, formatting, or cover design decisions, Fine Book Publishers can help you work through those choices as part of a clear publishing plan.
This article is for general informational purposes and reflects Amazon KDP’s publicly stated content guidelines at the time of writing. Always confirm current requirements directly on your KDP dashboard, since platform policies can change.