Include front matter in the same origin inventory as the main chapters. Record whether each retained passage was written by a person, generated by AI, or edited with AI assistance, and use current KDP definitions when reviewing the complete publication package.
Inventory the opening sections as actual content
An author may carefully track the origin of every chapter while treating the preface, introduction, and how-to-use pages as administrative extras. These passages are still part of the book readers receive. They can contain generated text, unsupported claims, or statements in the author's voice that nobody reviewed as closely as the main manuscript.
List each opening section and its purpose. Distinguish the author's personal account of creating the book from instructions about how readers should use it. The record should identify the actual passage retained in the publication, not merely a task label such as write introduction that may refer to several different drafts.
Record the process that produced the words
For each section, note who created the first substantive text and what later tools did to it. A person may write a preface and use AI to refine sentences, or ask a model to produce a preface from a few notes. Those histories are different even if the final passages sound similar.
KDP's current content guidance distinguishes AI-generated text from AI assistance applied to author-created content. It also states that substantial editing does not change generated content into assisted content under its definition. Keep the creation history factual so the publication review can apply the current guidance without trying to infer origin from the prose's style.
Do not invent a personal history to fill the opening
A generated preface can introduce claims about the author's experiences, motivations, qualifications, or years of research. Compare every such statement with information the author has actually supplied and can support. Remove invented anecdotes rather than accepting them as harmless introductory color.
Give special attention to first-person language. A sentence saying I tested this method with hundreds of readers represents an assertion by the author, not a decorative phrase. If the project has only a small usability review, describe that reality accurately or omit the claim. A polished opening should not promise evidence that the rest of the project cannot provide.
Track replacements and merged passages
Front matter often changes late, when editors merge pieces from an author draft and an AI-generated alternative. Preserve enough revision history to identify the origins of the retained material. Do not mark an entire section as human-written simply because a person selected, rearranged, or approved generated paragraphs.
If the history is unclear, investigate the saved drafts, comments, and contribution records. Keep uncertainty visible until the relevant facts are established. The record can remain concise, but it should distinguish known provenance from an assumption based on who last edited the file. The last editor and the original creator are not necessarily the same person.
Review promises made by how-to-use pages
An opening guide may tell readers what materials they need, whether exercises have answers, or how to use companion resources. Compare those instructions with the final book. AI-generated setup prose can inherit features from an early brief that the manuscript no longer includes.
Treat these mismatches as content issues in addition to recording origin. A correctly classified passage can still mislead readers about the book. Update the instructions after final scope changes and verify that the wording describes the actual edition, including any differences between print and digital use that matter to the reader's task.
Reconcile the inventory with the exported book
Before submission, inspect the exported opening sections and compare them with the origin inventory. Confirm that no late preface, introduction, or instruction page entered the package without review. Also check that removed drafts are not still being counted as published material merely because they remain in the project archive.
Use the complete, current record when preparing the KDP disclosure review, and retain the supporting history with the project. Do not create an exception simply because a passage is short or appears before chapter one. The author remains responsible for the book's content and rights, while the inventory supplies the facts needed to evaluate how its text was produced.
Frequently asked questions
Clear answers for this publishing decision.
Should a generated preface be omitted from the origin inventory?
No. Include retained front matter alongside chapters. Its position in the book does not establish a different creation history or justify ignoring it during the current-policy review.
Does rewriting a generated introduction make its origin human-written?
Record the actual process. KDP’s current definition says generated content remains generated even after substantial edits, so editing effort alone is not a basis for changing that classification.
What should I check besides the AI classification?
Verify personal claims, qualifications, research statements, and instructions about using the book. Accurate provenance does not establish that a passage’s factual claims or promises are correct.
What must I check, disclose, and verify myself when AI helped produce the book?
Review facts, rights, and source material yourself, record which parts were AI-assisted or AI-generated so you can answer Amazon’s disclosure question accurately, and treat every automated check as a starting point rather than a verdict.
See what the compliance checks cover