Back to Error DirectoryW3C EPUBCheck Standard
HTM-045_SUGCritical Ingestion Error

Empty hrefs are valid self-references. These should be validated t...

Empty hrefs are valid self-references. These should be validated to ensure that this is the desired intent.

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Fix all HTM-045_SUG errors in your EPUB automatically

PreFlight checks for HTM-045_SUG issues in memory and provides 1-click remediation during client-side packaging.

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What This Error Means in Plain English

EPUBCheck detected Empty hrefs are valid self-references. These should be validated to ensure that this is the desired intent.. Digital reading systems and bookstores require standard conformance to ensure compatibility across all reading apps.

Why Retailers & EAA Regulations Block This File

Automated book distributors (Apple Books, Amazon KDP, Kobo, and IngramSpark) run strict EPUBCheck validation on ingest and reject non-compliant files.

Technical Specification: W3C EPUBCheck rule HTM-045_SUG: Empty hrefs are valid self-references. These should be validated to ensure that this is the desired intent.

Manual Fix Instructions (for Sigil / Calibre)

  1. Locate the file and line flagged under rule HTM-045_SUG in your EPUB editor (Sigil or Calibre).
  2. Apply the required syntax correction matching the HTM-045_SUG specification.
  3. Re-pack and validate with PreFlight EPUB to confirm zero residual errors.