Do the sample e-books have DRM?

No. They are unencrypted EPUB 3 files with a navigation document, a stylesheet and one image.

What is the MIME type of an EPUB file?

The MIME type is application/epub+zip. The file extension is .epub.

Is a sample EPUB file the same as a dummy or example EPUB file?

Yes. Sample, test, dummy and example EPUB files are different names for the same thing: an EPUB file with known contents that stands in for a real one. Any file on this page will do wherever a tutorial or a test plan asks for a dummy EPUB file.

Free EPUB sample files

The open standard for reflowable e-books: a ZIP package of XHTML, CSS and images. Download valid EPUB test files in 4 exact sizes, from 10 KB to 5 MB, each with a checksum.

Extension: .epub
MIME type: application/epub+zip
Kind: Binary
Category: Ebooks

EPUB files by size

Every file below is a valid EPUB e-book file of exactly the stated size. Open a file's page for its checksum and contents. EPUB files cannot be displayed by a browser, so their pages show the file's details instead of a preview.

EPUB sample files by size
File	Size	Contents	Download
10 KB EPUB samplesample-epub-10kb.epub	10 KB10,240 bytes	Chapters: 2	Download EPUB
100 KB EPUB samplesample-epub-100kb.epub	100 KB102,400 bytes	Chapters: 6	Download EPUB
1 MB EPUB samplesample-epub-1mb.epub	1 MB1,048,576 bytes	Chapters: 12	Download EPUB
5 MB EPUB samplesample-epub-5mb.epub	5 MB5,242,880 bytes	Chapters: 12	Download EPUB

What is an EPUB file?

An EPUB is a website in a box. Chapters are XHTML documents styled with CSS, and a package file lists every resource and the reading order. Reading systems reflow the text to fit any screen.

The container is a ZIP archive with one special rule: its first entry must be an uncompressed file named "mimetype" containing application/epub+zip, so that the format can be recognised from the first bytes.

How to recognise an EPUB file

50P4BK03.04.

The first bytes of every file. A ZIP package whose first entry is an uncompressed file named "mimetype".

Extension	.epub
MIME type	application/epub+zip
Standard	W3C EPUB 3.3
Container	ZIP (OCF)
Content	XHTML, CSS, SVG, images, fonts
Navigation	XHTML nav document

What to test for

These are the behaviours that most often go wrong when software handles EPUB files.

Re-zipping an EPUB with a generic tool usually compresses or reorders the mimetype entry, which makes strict readers reject the book.
EPUB content is HTML, so a reading system that renders it in a web view needs the same script protections as a browser.

Strengths of EPUB

Text reflows to fit any screen and any font size.
An open W3C standard built on web technologies.

Limitations of EPUB

Rendering varies between reading systems.
Fixed layouts such as textbooks and comics are poorly served.

Typical uses of EPUB test files

Testing e-book upload and ingestion
Checking reading-system rendering
Testing conversion to other formats

Software that opens EPUB

Apple Books, Kobo and Google Play Books
Calibre and Thorium Reader
EPUBCheck validator

Specifications

W3C EPUB 3.3

EPUB sample files: questions

Do the sample e-books have DRM?: No. They are unencrypted EPUB 3 files with a navigation document, a stylesheet and one image.
What is the MIME type of an EPUB file?: The MIME type is application/epub+zip. The file extension is .epub.
Is a sample EPUB file the same as a dummy or example EPUB file?: Yes. Sample, test, dummy and example EPUB files are different names for the same thing: an EPUB file with known contents that stands in for a real one. Any file on this page will do wherever a tutorial or a test plan asks for a dummy EPUB file.