Amazon requires disclosure for AI-generated content published through KDP. The requirement has been in place since 2023 and has become stricter in 2025–2026 as AI-generated books have flooded certain categories. This guide covers what triggers the requirement, what is exempt, and how to document your AI use.
The Disclosure Requirement: What Amazon Actually Requires
Amazon's KDP content guidelines require authors to disclose when a book contains AI-generated content. The disclosure takes the form of a checkbox in the KDP publishing workflow, visible when you set up or edit a title.
The checkbox question asks whether the book contains AI-generated text, images, or translations. You check the box or you don't — there is no option for partial disclosure or explanation within the workflow itself.
What the checkbox covers:
- AI-generated text (body content, chapter text, introduction, back matter)
- AI-generated interior illustrations or diagrams
- AI-generated or AI-translated content (translation produced by AI rather than a human translator)
- AI-generated cover images
What the checkbox does NOT cover (no disclosure required):
- AI grammar and spell-check tools (Grammarly, ProWritingAid)
- AI editing assistants used to refine human-written text
- AI-generated marketing copy not included in the book itself
- AI tools used for research or outlining when the final text was written by a human
What "AI-Generated" Means Under Amazon's Policy
Amazon's guidance defines AI-generated content as content where the AI tool is the primary author. The human role in the content creation is minimal — clicking "generate," selecting outputs, and light editing.
Clearly AI-generated (disclosure required):
- Chapter written by ChatGPT or Claude with minimal human revision
- Images created in Midjourney or DALL-E and placed in the book
- Full-book translation by DeepL or Google Translate without human translator review
- Book written entirely by AI tools, packaged and published
AI-assisted (gray area — lean toward disclosure):
- AI wrote a first draft; author substantially rewrote it (Amazon leans toward disclosure here)
- AI generated an outline; author wrote all chapter content based on it (typically no disclosure needed)
- AI suggested plot points or characters; author wrote the story (typically no disclosure needed)
Human-authored with AI tools (no disclosure required):
- Author wrote the book; AI proofread or suggested grammar corrections
- Author wrote all text; AI formatted or styled the document
- AI used for research summaries but not for writing content
The practical test: If you printed the AI tool's output and published it with minor edits, disclosure is required. If you used the AI as a sophisticated research tool or writing aid but wrote the sentences yourself, disclosure is typically not required.
The Disclosure Workflow: Where It Appears
The disclosure appears during title setup and can be added or changed before a title is published. It also appears in the title management interface for published titles.
Steps to find and check the disclosure:
- Log in to KDP (kdp.amazon.com)
- Go to your bookshelf or click "Create" for a new title
- Navigate to "Kindle eBook/Paperback Details" or the relevant format setup page
- Scroll to the "Content" section
- Look for the AI-generated content disclosure option
- Check the box if the title contains AI-generated text, images, or translations
- Save and publish
If you have existing titles with AI-generated content that you did not disclose at time of publication, you can update the title to add the disclosure. Amazon has indicated that voluntary retroactive disclosure is treated more favorably than discovered non-disclosure.
Compliance Documentation: What to Keep
For each title with AI-generated content (whether you disclosed or not), keep a brief documentation record. This is especially important if Amazon requests information about a title's creation process.
Minimum documentation to maintain:
| Item | What to Record |
|---|---|
| AI tools used | Tool name and version (e.g., ChatGPT-4, Midjourney v6, Claude 3 Sonnet) |
| Which content was AI-generated | Chapter range, image filenames, or "entire book" |
| Human contribution | Description of what the author added, revised, or created |
| Date of creation | When the AI content was generated |
| Disclosure status | Whether the title is disclosed in KDP and the date |
A one-paragraph note per title in a shared doc is sufficient. You do not need to preserve the full AI conversation logs.
High-Risk Scenarios to Avoid
1. Undisclosed AI translation. A human-authored English book translated into 5 languages using DeepL without human review — each language edition requires disclosure. This is one of the most common enforcement triggers because authors don't think of translations as "AI-generated content."
2. Third-party content packages. Purchasing book content from a ghostwriter or content provider who used AI to create it, then publishing without disclosure. The disclosure obligation falls on the KDP account holder, not the content creator. If you bought AI-generated content, you are responsible for disclosing it.
3. AI cover images without disclosure. Using Midjourney, Adobe Firefly, or similar for a cover and treating it as a stock image purchase (which does not require disclosure). AI-generated images are categorically different from licensed stock photography for disclosure purposes.
4. Category gaming. Publishing undisclosed AI-generated content in categories where nonfiction accuracy matters (health, finance, law, history). Amazon's enforcement is heaviest in these categories because buyers rely on the author's expertise.
5. Series titles with inconsistent disclosure. Disclosing the first book in a series where all books were written the same way, but not the subsequent ones. If the same AI-generation process applies, all titles in the series need disclosure.
What Happens When Amazon Enforces
Amazon's enforcement process for undisclosed AI-generated content typically follows this pattern:
- Warning notification — email to KDP account requesting disclosure update or content review
- Title suppression — title removed from sale while under review (sales stop)
- Title removal — if the account holder does not respond or the violation is clear, the title is permanently removed
- Account flag — repeated violations flag the account for enhanced review on new submissions
- Account suspension — significant or repeated violations can result in account suspension
An account that discloses AI content correctly does not face these consequences. Disclosure does not affect a book's visibility, ranking, or search placement on Amazon.
Checklist Before Publishing
- Identified all AI-generated content in the title (text, images, translations)
- Determined whether each piece is AI-generated, AI-assisted, or human-authored
- Checked the AI disclosure box in KDP if any AI-generated content exists
- Documented the AI tools used and the human contribution for your records
- Verified that any purchased or outsourced content was not AI-generated without disclosure
- Checked all language editions of the title if translations exist
- Reviewed the cover image — is it AI-generated?
For publishers or authors with large backlists: Run through this checklist for existing titles. Retroactive disclosure is available in KDP and is preferable to discovered non-disclosure.
Using AI tools for your book and managing the compliance side? Use the AI Tool Register Template to document your AI tool usage across publishing projects in one place. For teams publishing at scale, the AI Policy Generator creates a content policy covering AI-generated content disclosure requirements across publishing platforms.
