# EPUBCheck OPF-003: file missing from manifest, how to fix it

Source: https://epubcc.com/epubcheck/opf-003/ (updated 2026-11-04)

EPUBCheck OPF-003 is a usage message: “Item "…" exists in the EPUB, but is not declared in the OPF manifest.” A file is in the archive but not declared in the manifest. Reading apps work from the manifest, so an undeclared file may be ignored; this is a usage note, shown only when EPUBCheck runs with -u.

- Official message (EPUBCheck 5.4.0): Item "%1$s" exists in the EPUB, but is not declared in the OPF manifest.
- Default severity: Usage

## Typical causes

- Leftover system files such as .DS_Store or Thumbs.db zipped together with the book.
- Old images, backups or drafts that stayed in the book folder after editing.
- A new file added to the folder without updating the manifest.

## How to fix it

1. Look at the file EPUBCheck names and decide whether the book uses it.
2. If the book does not use it, delete it from the folder and rebuild the archive.
3. If the book does use it, add a manifest item with a unique id, its path and its media type, for example <item id="img2" href="images/map.png" media-type="image/png"/>.

## When it's not this

If the undeclared file is also referenced from the content, EPUBCheck reports RSC-008 as well, which is the one to fix first.

## Sources

- EPUB 3.3, §5.6.2 The item element: https://www.w3.org/TR/epub-33/#sec-item-elem (read 2026-11-04)

Message text and severity: EPUBCheck (W3C, BSD-3-Clause). Explanation: EpubCC.