How to create a navigation file like navigation.xhtml for an EPUB 3.0 book?

At least one navigation file, like navigation.xhtml, is required for an EPUB 3.0 book in the book ZIP container. It provides navigation information like a table of contents of the book.

Here is the requirement on a navigation file:

1. A navigation file must be named with .xhtml file extension.

2. A navigation file must be an XML file and meet the XHTML specifications.

3. A navigation file must specify at least 1 "nav" XHTML element like <nav epub:type="toc">, which must have an "ol" sub-element to provide a list of navigation links.

4. A navigation file can be placed in any directory of the EPUB 3.0 book ZIP container. But its exact location must be specified correctly in the package file.

You can create a navigation file with any text editor. Here is an example called navigation.xhtml:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<!-- navigation.xhtml
  Copyright (c) FYIcenter.com 
-->
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" 
  xmlns:epub="http://www.idpf.org/2007/ops">
  <head>
    <title>TOC</title>
  </head>
  <body>
    <nav epub:type="toc">
      <ol>
        <li>
          <a href="/content.xhtml">Hello</a>
        </li>
      </ol>
    </nav>
  </body>
</html>

Download Hello-3.0.epub, and unzip it. You see an example of "navigation.xhtml" in the root directory.

⇒ Hello-3.0.epub - Content File: content.xhtml

⇐ Hello-3.0.epub - Package File: package.opf

⇑ Introduction of EPUB 3.0 Specification

⇑⇑ EPUB Tutorials