Can I Put Links and QR Codes in My KDP Book?

Yes, you can put links in a KDP book, within limits. KDP’s Hyperlink Guidelines allow links that directly improve the reader’s experience, such as your website, your social media or a free checklist. They do not allow links to web forms that ask for customer information, or to other ebook stores. Amazon can also remove a link whenever it likes.

I used to tell authors to put a sign-up link in the back of their book. A link in the back matter is still the right idea, but linking the sign-up form itself is what KDP’s wording rules out. Here is what the page says and what I would do now.

What links does KDP allow in a book?

KDP’s Hyperlink Guidelines say external links should be there only “if they directly enhance the reader experience.” The examples it gives as acceptable are:

• Links to previous or subsequent books in a series
• Links to multimedia content directly related to the content of the title
• Links to additional ancillary material, such as checklists, assessment forms, craft patterns and similar printable materials
• Links to topical websites
• Social media related to the book or author

For an author, that covers the most common back matter: your author website, your social media and a free checklist or workbook that goes with the book.

What does KDP not allow?

The same page lists links that are not allowed:

• Links to pornography
• Links to commercial eBook store sites other than Amazon
• Links to web forms that request customer information
• Links to illegal, harmful, infringing or offensive content
• Links that are malicious in intent

Two of these matter to authors. Do not send readers to Kobo, Apple Books or any other ebook store from inside your Kindle book. And a link that opens a form asking for a name and email address is a web form that requests customer information. That is exactly what most “get my free bonus” links do.

Can Amazon remove my links?

Yes. The page says: “Amazon reserves the right to remove links in its sole discretion.” It also tells authors to deactivate links that break for reasons outside their control and to add text such as “(URL inactive)” after the link text.

So build the book so it still reads well if a link is gone. Never make a link the only way a reader can reach something the book promises.

Are QR codes allowed in a KDP paperback?

I could not find a rule. KDP’s Paperback Submission Guidelines don’t mention QR codes, URLs or links. The Hyperlink Guidelines are written for ebooks and give no rules for print.

That means I can’t tell you a QR code is approved, and I can’t tell you it is banned. My advice is to treat a QR code as a link. If a link would be fine in an ebook, a QR code to the same page is the safest choice in print. If it would not be, leave it out. Print the web address in words next to the code, because a reader may not have a phone at hand.

What is the safe way to send readers to my free bonus?

This part is my advice, not a KDP rule.

1. Link a page on your own website, not the form. Make a page that describes the bonus, such as a checklist, a bonus chapter or a workbook, and says what is in it. The sign-up form sits on that page, one click further on.
2. Use one link. One clear link at the end of the book works better than ten, and it gives Amazon less to object to.
3. Use a short link you control. If you point a short link on your own domain at the page, you can change where it goes without editing the book. I explain how in the best link shorteners for self-publishers.
4. Say what the reader gets. “Get the free checklist for this book” reads as extra material for the reader, which is what KDP’s examples describe.

I can’t promise Amazon will accept every setup, so check the Hyperlink Guidelines yourself before you publish.

What should I check before I publish?

• Click every link in the final file, on a real device, and scan every QR code with a phone.
• Make sure each link goes to a page that works today and says what the book promised.
• Check that no link goes to another ebook store or straight to a form.
• Look at your preview in KDP’s previewer to see how the links appear.
• Put a reminder in your diary to test the links again every few months.

For the full picture of the list behind the bonus, see creating an email list for self-publishers and what a reader magnet is.

What I do about it

If you want your book to bring readers to your business, the back matter is where that starts, and getting it right the first time saves you a re-upload. I can look at how your book can bring readers to your business in a free 25-minute call. Book your free call.

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