CSV Invisible Character Remover: what to check
This check prioritizes selected invisible characters inside values. The before preview shows visible code markers so you can understand the proposed change.
Hidden characters can make equal-looking values different
A zero-width space can sit between letters without creating a visible gap. A record containing A followed by U+200B and da may look like Ada while failing an exact comparison. Text copied from websites, PDFs, or older exports can also contain control characters that an importer does not expect.
CommaMend checks a defined set of control and formatting characters, including NUL, zero-width space, zero-width joiners, word joiner, and embedded U+FEFF. It does not claim to detect every unusual Unicode character or remove ordinary accented and non-Latin letters.
The character may be intentional
Some joiners are meaningful in written languages or emoji sequences. An invisible-character warning is not proof that the text is wrong. The repair names the affected Unicode codes and marks those characters in the original preview. Approve removal only when it matches the intended text.
The proposed repair removes the flagged characters from the selected cell, not from every record. Skip a warning to keep the value, or use manual editing when only one of several characters should change. Exporting and re-importing the reviewed CSV preserves the remaining text.
Separate hidden characters from decoding problems
A replacement character or garbled accented name may be an encoding problem instead. Try the encoding controls against the original file before editing its values. A byte order mark at the very start of a UTF-8 file has a dedicated encoding warning; a literal U+FEFF inside a quoted value remains cell content until reviewed.
Try a real CSV example
| ID | Name |
|---|---|
| 0012 | A[U+200B]da |
[U+200B] visualizes one zero-width space. The downloadable sample contains the actual invisible character, not those bracketed letters. The intended corrected value may be Ada, but you decide.
Download the example CSVSelect the example in the tool above. Your file is processed locally, and changes require your approval.