# What is a page-break marker?

Source: https://epubcc.com/glossary/page-break-marker/ (updated 2026-11-04)

A page-break marker is an element in an EPUB, usually with epub:type="pagebreak" and the page number as its label, that records where a page of the printed edition began. Together with a page list it lets readers find "page 42" of the print source.

## Why it matters when you convert a PDF to EPUB

A PDF knows exactly where each page starts, so it is the best possible source for page-break markers, but only if the converter keeps that information while it removes the visible page numbers and rejoins paragraphs split across pages.

EPUB Accessibility 1.1 asks publications that offer print page navigation to identify the pagination source and provide a page list and page breaks; EPUBCheck requires the page list when markers exist (NAV-003) and Ace by DAISY checks that markers exist when the metadata claims them.

How EpubCC handles it: page numbers are detected and removed from the text, but no page-break markers are written yet, so converted books have no print page navigation. It is a known gap.