Amazon Book Description HTML Formatter

Format your KDP book description with the exact tags Amazon accepts. Free, no signup, runs in your browser.

Last updated: April 29, 2026

The Amazon Book Description HTML Formatter is a free KDP tool that converts plain text or messy HTML into the exact subset of tags Amazon allows in book descriptions. It keeps bold, italics, paragraphs, lists, and small headings, strips everything else, and counts your characters against the 4,000-character limit. Everything runs in your browser. Your blurb never leaves your device.

Your description

Plain text gets wrapped in <p> tags for you. HTML pastes are sanitized to KDP's allowed tags. Banned tags like <u>, <a>, and <div> are removed.

KDP-ready HTML

Formatted HTML will appear here.

0 / 4,000 characters4,000 remaining

How does it work?

1
Paste your description
Drop your blurb into the input box. Plain text from Word, Google Docs, Scrivener, or HTML from another tool all work.
2
Format for KDP
The tool strips banned tags, removes attributes that eat your character budget, and wraps plain text in valid <p> tags.
3
Check warnings and character count
Review what was stripped and confirm you are under the 4,000-character KDP limit. Edit and reformat as needed.
4
Copy and paste into KDP
Copy the formatted HTML, open KDP, switch the description field to HTML view, and paste. Save and verify the rendered preview.

What HTML tags does Amazon KDP allow?

Amazon KDP supports thirteen HTML tags inside the book description field. Every other tag is silently stripped on save. The tool below uses this exact allowlist. Tags not on this list are removed and you get a warning explaining what changed.

Allowed tags

Tag	Purpose
<br>	Line break
<p>	Paragraph
<b>	Bold
<strong>	Bold (semantic)
<i>	Italic
<em>	Italic (semantic)
<ul>	Unordered list
<ol>	Ordered list
<li>	List item
<h4>	Small heading
<h5>	Smaller heading
<h6>	Smallest heading
<hr>	Horizontal rule

Common tags KDP rejects

Tag	Why
<u>	Underline is not supported on Amazon book descriptions.
<a>	Links are not allowed in book descriptions.
<img>	Images cannot be embedded in the description.
<div>	Use <p> for paragraphs instead.
<span>	Inline styling is stripped. Use <b> or <i> directly.
<font>	Custom fonts and colors are not supported.
<h1>	Use <h4>, <h5>, or <h6> instead. h1 to h3 are not supported.
<h2>	Use <h4>, <h5>, or <h6> instead. h1 to h3 are not supported.

Why the 4,000-character limit matters: Amazon counts every HTML tag character against your 4,000-character budget. A description wrapped in five paragraph tags and a bulleted list can lose 80 to 120 characters to markup alone. The formatter tracks the final character count after sanitization, so what you see is exactly what KDP will count. Authors who paste from Word frequently lose 200 to 400 characters to invisible <span> tags and inline styles. The warnings panel lists every tag and attribute removed so you know what changed before you hit save in KDP.

Frequently asked questions

What HTML tags does Amazon KDP allow in book descriptions?: Amazon KDP supports a small set of HTML tags inside the book description field: <br> for line breaks, <p> for paragraphs, <b> and <strong> for bold, <i> and <em> for italics, <ul>, <ol>, and <li> for lists, <h4>, <h5>, <h6> for small headings, and <hr> for horizontal rules. Every other tag is silently stripped when you save.
What is the character limit for an Amazon book description?: The Amazon book description limit is 4,000 characters, including all HTML tags. Tag characters count toward the limit, so a description packed with markup uses your budget faster than plain text. The tool tracks the exact character count of the final HTML so you know what KDP will see.
Why does KDP not support underline or links in book descriptions?: Amazon disabled <u> (underline) and <a> (links) in book descriptions to keep the listing visually consistent and prevent off-platform link traffic. Authors who paste HTML from Word or Google Docs often have <u> tags they did not realize were there. The formatter removes them and warns you so your description does not silently break formatting.
Can I use H1 or H2 headings in my book description?: No. Amazon KDP only accepts <h4>, <h5>, and <h6> in book descriptions. <h1>, <h2>, and <h3> are reserved for the Amazon page structure and are stripped on save. If you paste a description that uses H1 or H2 headings, the formatter rewrites or removes them and tells you what changed.
Does this tool send my book description to a server?: No. The Amazon Book Description HTML Formatter runs entirely in your browser. Your description, blurb text, and any pasted HTML never leave your device. There is no signup, no account, and nothing to install. Close the tab and the data is gone.
How do I paste my formatted description into KDP?: Click "Copy HTML" once the output looks right. Open your KDP book setup page, go to the Description field, and switch the field to its HTML view (the icon next to the description editor). Paste in the formatted HTML and save. Switch back to the rich-text view and your formatting will render the way the preview showed it.

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How does it work?

Paste your description

Drop your blurb into the input box. Plain text from Word, Google Docs, Scrivener, or HTML from another tool all work.

Format for KDP

The tool strips banned tags, removes attributes that eat your character budget, and wraps plain text in valid <p> tags.

Check warnings and character count

Review what was stripped and confirm you are under the 4,000-character KDP limit. Edit and reformat as needed.

Copy and paste into KDP

Copy the formatted HTML, open KDP, switch the description field to HTML view, and paste. Save and verify the rendered preview.

What HTML tags does Amazon KDP allow?

Allowed tags

Tag	Purpose
<br>	Line break
<p>	Paragraph
<b>	Bold
<strong>	Bold (semantic)
<i>	Italic
<em>	Italic (semantic)
<ul>	Unordered list
<ol>	Ordered list
<li>	List item
<h4>	Small heading
<h5>	Smaller heading
<h6>	Smallest heading
<hr>	Horizontal rule

Common tags KDP rejects

Tag	Why
<u>	Underline is not supported on Amazon book descriptions.
<a>	Links are not allowed in book descriptions.
<img>	Images cannot be embedded in the description.
<div>	Use <p> for paragraphs instead.
<span>	Inline styling is stripped. Use <b> or <i> directly.
<font>	Custom fonts and colors are not supported.
<h1>	Use <h4>, <h5>, or <h6> instead. h1 to h3 are not supported.
<h2>	Use <h4>, <h5>, or <h6> instead. h1 to h3 are not supported.

Frequently asked questions

What HTML tags does Amazon KDP allow in book descriptions?

Amazon KDP supports a small set of HTML tags inside the book description field: <br> for line breaks, <p> for paragraphs, <b> and <strong> for bold, <i> and <em> for italics, <ul>, <ol>, and <li> for lists, <h4>, <h5>, <h6> for small headings, and <hr> for horizontal rules. Every other tag is silently stripped when you save.

What is the character limit for an Amazon book description?

The Amazon book description limit is 4,000 characters, including all HTML tags. Tag characters count toward the limit, so a description packed with markup uses your budget faster than plain text. The tool tracks the exact character count of the final HTML so you know what KDP will see.

Why does KDP not support underline or links in book descriptions?

Amazon disabled <u> (underline) and <a> (links) in book descriptions to keep the listing visually consistent and prevent off-platform link traffic. Authors who paste HTML from Word or Google Docs often have <u> tags they did not realize were there. The formatter removes them and warns you so your description does not silently break formatting.

Can I use H1 or H2 headings in my book description?

No. Amazon KDP only accepts <h4>, <h5>, and <h6> in book descriptions. <h1>, <h2>, and <h3> are reserved for the Amazon page structure and are stripped on save. If you paste a description that uses H1 or H2 headings, the formatter rewrites or removes them and tells you what changed.

Does this tool send my book description to a server?

No. The Amazon Book Description HTML Formatter runs entirely in your browser. Your description, blurb text, and any pasted HTML never leave your device. There is no signup, no account, and nothing to install. Close the tab and the data is gone.

How do I paste my formatted description into KDP?

Click "Copy HTML" once the output looks right. Open your KDP book setup page, go to the Description field, and switch the field to its HTML view (the icon next to the description editor). Paste in the formatted HTML and save. Switch back to the rich-text view and your formatting will render the way the preview showed it.