# EPUBCheck OPF-003: Item … exists in the EPUB, but is not…

Source: https://epublab.com/epubcheck/opf-003/ (updated 2026-11-03)

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, so reading apps may ignore it.

- 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 files such as .DS_Store, Thumbs.db, old images or backups zipped with the book.
- A new file added to the folder without updating the manifest.

## How to fix it

- Delete files the book does not use, or add a manifest item for files it does.

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