# EPUBCheck OPF-089: alternate link with others, how to fix it

Source: https://epubcc.com/epubcheck/opf-089/ (updated 2026-11-04)

EPUBCheck OPF-089 is an error message: “The "alternate" link rel keyword cannot be paired with other keywords.” A metadata link uses rel="alternate" together with other keywords. EPUB says the alternate keyword must stand alone, because it marks a different representation of the whole package document.

- Official message (EPUBCheck 5.4.0): The "alternate" link rel keyword cannot be paired with other keywords.
- Default severity: Error

## Typical causes

- A rel attribute such as rel="alternate record" written to describe one file two ways.
- Keywords merged when combining metadata links.
- A link copied from HTML, where combining alternate with other keywords is common.

## How to fix it

1. Find the link element EPUBCheck points to.
2. If the file is an alternate representation of the package (for example a JSON version), keep only rel="alternate".
3. If it is a metadata record, use rel="record" with its media-type instead.

## When it's not this

If a record link lacks its media type, that is OPF-094.

## Sources

- EPUB 3.3, §D.4.1.1 alternate: https://www.w3.org/TR/epub-33/#sec-alternate (read 2026-11-04)
- EPUB 3.3, §5.5.6 The link element: https://www.w3.org/TR/epub-33/#sec-link-elem (read 2026-11-04)

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