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EPUB Metadata Editor Online: Fix Title, Author, Cover & More
Every EPUB carries metadata — the title, author, description, language, and cover that stores and reader apps display. Wrong metadata means the wrong title on Kindle, or no cover at all. This guide explains what each field does and how to edit it in seconds with a free online EPUB metadata editor.
What is EPUB metadata?
Metadata lives in the EPUB's content.opf file — think of it as the book's ID card. The fields that matter:
- Title — displayed in every store and library app. Must match your published title exactly.
- Creator (author) — your pen name as you want it shown.
- Description — the blurb. Some stores pull it from here if you don't supply one separately.
- Language — e.g. en. Affects hyphenation, spell-check, and text-to-speech.
- Identifier — a unique ID (usually a UUID or ISBN). Stores use it to distinguish your book.
- Cover image — technically metadata too: the file must be marked as the cover, not just included.
Why bother? Stores read this, not your filename
A file named final-final-v3.epub with empty metadata shows up as "Unknown Title" in Apple Books. Converters often leave metadata half-empty — which is exactly why a metadata pass belongs in every publishing checklist, right after validation.
How to edit EPUB metadata (60 seconds)
- Open the free metadata editor.
- Drop in your .epub — current values load automatically.
- Edit title, author, description, language, and identifier as needed.
- To change the cover: choose a JPEG or PNG (1600×2560 px is ideal for Kindle) and it gets embedded and marked as the cover.
- Download the updated EPUB.
Everything runs in your browser — the file is never uploaded anywhere.
Cover image specs that actually matter
- Kindle: JPEG, 2560×1600 px (or 1600×2560 portrait) recommended; minimum 1000 px on the long side.
- Apple Books: at least 1400 px on the short side.
- Format: JPEG for photos/illustration, PNG for text-heavy covers. Keep it under a few MB.
- Aspect ratio: 1:1.6 (e.g. 1600×2560) is the safe standard across stores.
Questions
- How do I change the title and author of an EPUB?
- Open the EPUB in a metadata editor like KindleReady's free online tool, edit the title and creator fields, and download the updated file. The changes apply to the whole ebook in seconds.
- How do I add a cover image to an EPUB?
- Use an EPUB metadata editor to embed a cover image (JPEG or PNG, ideally 1600×2560 px for Kindle). The tool marks it as the cover so every reader and store displays it.
- What EPUB metadata do book stores require?
- At minimum: title, author (creator), language, and a unique identifier. A cover image and description are effectively required for professional presentation.
Edit yours now: Open the metadata editor →