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EPUBCheck · Resources and references

EPUBCheck RSC-007: referenced file not found

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EPUBCheck RSC-007 is an error message: “Referenced resource "…" could not be found in the EPUB.” A link or reference points to a file that is missing from the book. EPUBCheck reports the same text as RSC-007 (an error) and as RSC-007w (a warning, for references that do not break the publication's validity); the causes and the fix are the same.

The official message

Referenced resource "%1$s" could not be found in the EPUB.

Default severity
Error. The EPUB breaks a rule of the specification and is invalid. Stores and Send to Kindle may reject it, and EPUBCheck exits with status 1.
EPUBCheck version
5.4.0

%1$s, %2$s… are filled in with the file, value or element EPUBCheck found.

Typical causes

  • A misspelled path or wrong case (paths are case-sensitive).
  • A file that was deleted or renamed, or a link left over from the source document, such as a converted PDF's internal link.
  • RSC-007w: the same missing target in a reference EPUBCheck only warns about.

How to fix it

  1. Find the reference named in the message and compare its path with the files really in the archive.
  2. Correct the path, or add the missing file to the EPUB and the manifest.
  3. Remove the link if the target no longer exists, and validate again.

When it's not this

If the file exists but is not listed in the manifest, that is RSC-008, not RSC-007.

Also reported as

  • RSC-007w (warning): Referenced resource "%1$s" could not be found in the EPUB.

Terms used here

Other RSC messages

  • RSC-006 Remote resource reference is not allowed in this context; resource "…" must be located in the EPUB container.
  • RSC-006b Resource "…" is located outside the EPUB Container; please check the resource is retrieved in scripted content.
  • RSC-008 Referenced resource "…" is not declared in the OPF manifest.
  • RSC-005 Error while parsing file: …
  • RSC-009 A non-SVG image resource should not be defined with a fragment identifier.
  • RSC-004 File "…" is encrypted, its content will not be checked.

Sources

Message text and severity from EPUBCheck 5.4.0 (W3C, BSD-3-Clause). Explanation by EpubCC.

FAQ

What does EPUBCheck RSC-007 mean?

EPUBCheck RSC-007 is an error message: “Referenced resource "…" could not be found in the EPUB.” A link or reference points to a file that is missing from the book. EPUBCheck reports the same text as RSC-007 (an error) and as RSC-007w (a warning, for references that do not break the publication's validity); the causes and the fix are the same.

Is RSC-007 an error?

RSC-007 is reported as error by default. The EPUB breaks a rule of the specification and is invalid. Stores and Send to Kindle may reject it, and EPUBCheck exits with status 1.