KDP says 'Please fix the highlighted issue' but nothing is highlighted: ISBN and imprint mismatches

You type your own ISBN and imprint into KDP, press the button to continue, and KDP asks you to fix the highlighted issue. Nothing on the page is highlighted. KDP's help pages describe exactly this, and the cause is almost always the same: what you typed doesn't match what the ISBN agency has on record.

Your imprint is the publisher name your ISBN is registered under. The agency is the official body you bought the ISBN from, such as Bowker in the US. (New to ISBNs? Start with our guide to ISBNs without the traps.)

Fixing it on KDP

1. Log in to your ISBN agency account and find the ISBN for this format. A paperback and a hardcover each have their own.
2. Copy the imprint name exactly as the agency shows it and paste it into KDP. Don't retype it. KDP's help says the match is case-sensitive, and even a space at the end causes a mismatch.
3. Copy and paste the ISBN the same way.
4. If you've only just bought the ISBN or changed its details, KDP's help says changes at the ISBN agency can take up to five business days to come through, so wait, then try again.

KDP also checks that the book matches its details: the title, author name and ISBN in your interior and on your cover should be the same as what you entered in setup. If you add your own barcode, its ISBN must match exactly too.

IngramSpark: "ISBN already in use"

IngramSpark may tell you an ISBN is already in use, or isn't associated with your account. The usual reasons (as at 4 October 2026):

• The same ISBN has been used for two formats. Each format needs its own.
• The ISBN is a free KDP ISBN. Those can only be used on KDP.
• The imprint you entered doesn't match the agency record.

If you want the same paperback on both KDP and IngramSpark, use an ISBN you own on both, with the same imprint name.

Barnes & Noble Press

B&N Press's list of common errors includes an ISBN that's already registered with NOOK or B&N, or with another platform. Check that you're using the right ISBN for the right format, and that it isn't a free ISBN tied to another company.

How to fix it in Word

Word's part in this is your copyright page.

1. Press Ctrl+F and search for "ISBN". Check the copyright page shows the ISBN for this format (the paperback's in the paperback file, not the ebook's).
2. Check the title, subtitle and author name in your book match what you typed in the platform's setup, letter for letter.
3. Save as PDF and upload again.

Using a designer, InDesign, Affinity or Canva? Check the barcode on the back cover carries the right ISBN for this format, and remake it if not. Check the spine and front cover match the title and author name in your setup.

Check before you upload

The ISBN planner helps you keep track of which ISBN goes with which format and platform before you start setting up. The ISBN barcode generator makes a barcode from the right number. Both run in your browser and nothing is uploaded.