What is the Invisible Character Detector?

The Invisible Character Detector is a specialized tool that identifies and reveals hidden Unicode characters lurking in your text. These characters exist in your content but remain completely invisible to the human eye—creating unexpected issues in text processing, data validation, and content matching.

Common scenario: Ever copied text that looks identical but refuses to match? Or wondered how someone created a completely "blank" username? Hidden characters are almost always the culprit.

Who Needs This Tool?

Developers

Debug text comparison issues, sanitize user input, and identify problematic characters in datasets

Content Creators

Clean text copied from websites, documents, or other sources before publishing

QA Testers

Test input validation and security filters with special characters

Social Media Users

Create blank or invisible usernames for various platforms

Data Analysts

Identify why datasets with "identical" values fail to match or merge properly

Anyone

Understand why copy-pasted text behaves unexpectedly in applications

Types of Invisible Characters

The detector identifies four distinct categories of hidden characters, each with unique characteristics and use cases:

Zero-Width Characters

Characters with absolutely no visual width—completely invisible yet present in the text.

Zero Width Space (ZWSP)
Zero Width Joiner (ZWJ)
Byte Order Mark (BOM)
Word Joiner

Whitespace Variations

Different types of spaces that look identical but behave differently in text processing.

Non-Breaking Space (NBSP)
Em Space & En Space
Thin Space & Hair Space
Figure Space

Control Characters

Non-printable characters that control text behavior and may cause security or display issues.

Null character
Backspace & Delete
Escape sequences
Tab variations

Special Characters

Formatting marks that affect text direction, layout, and rendering behavior.

Left-to-Right (LTR) marks
Right-to-Left (RTL) marks
Soft Hyphen
Line & Paragraph Separators

Your Privacy

Your data security and privacy are paramount. This tool operates with complete client-side processing:

No uploads — Your text never leaves your device or browser
No server processing — Everything runs locally using JavaScript
No tracking — We don't collect any usage data, analytics, or text content
No storage — Text is processed in memory and never saved anywhere

100% Client-Side: All detection, analysis, and cleaning operations happen entirely in your browser. Your sensitive text remains completely private.

Table of Contents

1. What is the Invisible Character Detector?
2. How to Use the Detector
3. Features
4. Frequently Asked Questions

How to Use the Detector

Detecting Hidden Characters

Input Your Text

Paste or type your text into the input area. You can also click the Paste button to quickly paste from your clipboard.

Review the Summary

Four color-coded cards display instant counts for each category: Zero-Width, Whitespace, Control, and Special characters.

Examine Detailed Results

See exactly which characters were found, their Unicode codes (e.g., U+200B), and occurrence counts in your text.

Take Action

Remove individual character types or clean all invisible characters at once with a single click.

Removing Invisible Characters

The tool provides flexible options for cleaning your text:

Selective Removal

Remove Specific Characters

Hover over any detected character in the results
Click the X button next to it
All instances of that character are removed
Other invisible characters remain untouched

Complete Removal

Clean All at Once

Click the "Clean All" button
Removes every invisible character instantly
Leaves only visible, standard text
Perfect for sanitizing copied content

Copying Text

Two copy options give you complete control over your output:

Copy Original — Copies your text exactly as entered, preserving all invisible characters for testing or analysis
Copy Clean — Copies your text with all invisible characters removed, ready for safe use in applications

Copying Invisible Characters

Need invisible characters for testing, creating blank text, or bypassing filters? Use the built-in character library:

Expand Panel

Click "Copy Invisible Characters" at the bottom

Select Character

Click any character card to copy one instance

Copy Multiple

Hold Shift and select quantity: 1, 5, 10, or custom

Tips for Best Results

If text looks identical but doesn't match, paste both versions and compare detected characters
Zero-width characters are most common when copying from websites or rich text editors
Always use "Copy Clean" before pasting text into code, databases, or production systems
Test invisible characters in a safe environment before using them in usernames or important data

Developer tip: When debugging text comparison failures, check for NBSP (U+00A0) vs regular space (U+0020)—they look identical but have different Unicode values.

Features

Automatic Detection

Experience real-time character analysis as you work. The moment you type or paste text, the tool instantly scans for invisible characters—no button clicks required. Summary cards update immediately, providing instant feedback on hidden character counts across all four categories.

Instant feedback: Detection happens in milliseconds, making it effortless to analyze large blocks of text or quickly verify cleaned content.

Four Character Categories

Characters are organized into intuitive, color-coded categories for quick identification and understanding:

Zero-Width (Red)

ZWSP, ZWNJ, ZWJ, BOM, Word Joiner—characters with absolutely no visual width, completely invisible in rendered text

Whitespace (Blue)

NBSP, em/en space, thin space, hair space—look like regular spaces but behave differently in text processing

Control (Yellow)

Null, backspace, delete, escape—non-printable control characters that affect text behavior

Special (Purple)

LTR/RTL marks, line/paragraph separators, soft hyphen—formatting characters that control layout and direction

Detailed Results

For each detected character, comprehensive information is displayed:

Short Code

Quick identifier like ZWSP, NBSP, BOM for instant recognition

Unicode Point

Exact Unicode value (e.g., U+200B) for technical reference

Occurrence Count

Shows how many times each character appears in your text

Remove Button

One-click removal of all instances of that specific character

Copy Invisible Characters

The built-in character library provides instant access to commonly used invisible characters:

Popular picks — ZWSP, NBSP, Hangul Filler, Braille Blank—the most commonly used characters for creating blank text or invisible content
Complete collection — Full library of zero-width, whitespace, and special characters for advanced use cases
Quantity selector — Copy 1, 5, 10, or a custom number of characters with Shift+Click functionality
Instant clipboard — Single click copies to clipboard with visual confirmation

Character Information

Each character card displays a short, clear description to help you understand its purpose and typical use cases. Hover over any character to see its full Unicode name and additional details.

Learning tool: The character library doubles as an educational resource, helping you understand the vast world of Unicode invisible characters.

Clean and Copy Actions

Streamlined actions for efficient text processing:

Clean All

Remove all invisible characters with one click—perfect for sanitizing copied content

Copy Original

Copy text with all invisible characters intact—useful for testing and analysis

Copy Clean

Copy text with invisible characters removed—ready for safe use in production

Frequently Asked Questions

What are invisible characters?

Invisible characters are Unicode characters that don't display any visible symbol but still exist in text data. They include zero-width spaces, non-breaking spaces, control characters, and various formatting marks.

These characters are often unintentionally inserted when copying text from websites, documents, or rich text editors. While invisible to the eye, they can cause significant issues in text comparison, search functions, data validation, and application processing.

Why does my copied text not match even though it looks identical?

This is almost always caused by hidden characters embedded in the text. When you copy content from websites, PDFs, or documents, invisible characters like zero-width spaces (ZWSP) or non-breaking spaces (NBSP) often come along for the ride.

These characters are completely invisible but affect text comparison algorithms, search functions, and data processing. For example, "hello" with a ZWSP and "hello" without it will look identical but fail string comparison tests.

Solution: Paste both text versions into the detector and compare the detected characters to identify the difference.

How do I create a blank or invisible username?

Use the "Copy Invisible Characters" panel to copy characters that appear blank but count as valid text. The most effective options are:

Zero Width Space (ZWSP) — U+200B, most commonly accepted
Hangul Filler — U+3164, works on many Asian platforms
Braille Blank — U+2800, alternative option
NBSP — U+00A0, appears as space but may be visible

Important: Not all platforms accept invisible usernames. Many have validation rules that block zero-width or whitespace-only input. Always test in a safe environment first.

What is Zero Width Space (ZWSP)?

Zero Width Space (U+200B) is a Unicode character that has absolutely zero width—it takes up no visual space but exists in the text data. It's one of the most commonly used invisible characters.

Common uses:

Creating invisible text or blank usernames
Enabling soft line breaks without visible spaces
Bypassing text filters or word detection
Separating characters in URLs or code without visual impact

ZWSP is particularly popular because it's widely supported across platforms and doesn't affect text rendering in most applications.

What is the difference between regular space and NBSP?

While they look identical, regular space and Non-Breaking Space (NBSP) behave very differently:

Regular Space

U+0020

Allows line breaks
Can be collapsed in HTML
Standard word separator
Used in normal text flow

NBSP

U+00A0

Prevents line breaks
Never collapsed in HTML
Keeps words together
Used in typography

NBSP is commonly used in typography to keep elements together, such as "10 km" or "Dr. Smith" to prevent awkward line breaks.

Is my text safe when using this tool?

Absolutely yes. Your text is completely safe and private when using this tool.

100% client-side processing — All analysis happens in your browser using JavaScript
No server uploads — Your text never leaves your device
No data collection — We don't collect, store, or transmit any text content
No tracking — No analytics, cookies, or usage monitoring
No storage — Text is processed in memory and immediately discarded

Privacy guarantee: You can safely analyze sensitive documents, passwords, or confidential data—everything stays on your device.

Can invisible characters cause security issues?

Yes, invisible characters can pose serious security risks if not properly handled in applications:

Security Risks

Input validation bypass — Invisible characters can circumvent length checks, profanity filters, or content restrictions
Code injection — Hidden characters can hide malicious code in seemingly innocent text
Homograph attacks — Create confusingly similar usernames or URLs that look identical but are different
Data corruption — Invisible characters in databases can cause query failures or data integrity issues
Authentication bypass — Some systems may treat "admin" and "admin[ZWSP]" as different users

Developer warning: Always sanitize and validate user input in applications that process text data. Strip or reject invisible characters unless they serve a specific, intended purpose.

Why are there invisible characters in my code?

Invisible characters in code typically come from these common sources:

Copy-Paste Issues

Copying code from websites, PDFs, or documentation often brings invisible characters along

BOM Characters

Text editors may insert Byte Order Mark (BOM) at file start, causing syntax errors

Rich Text Editors

Copying from Word, Google Docs, or similar tools introduces formatting characters

Keyboard Input

Some keyboard layouts or IME systems can insert zero-width characters

These can cause:

Syntax errors that are impossible to see
Compilation or runtime failures
String comparison failures in tests
Unexpected behavior in production

Best practice: Always clean code with this tool before compiling or running. Use "Copy Clean" to ensure invisible characters are removed.

Which invisible character should I use for blank text?

The best invisible character depends on the platform and use case. Try these in order:

Zero Width Space (ZWSP)

U+200B — Most widely accepted across platforms. Try this first for usernames, social media, or general blank text.

Hangul Filler

U+3164 — Works well on platforms with Asian language support. Good alternative if ZWSP is blocked.

Braille Blank

U+2800 — Appears as blank space. Useful when zero-width characters are filtered.

Experiment

Different platforms have different validation rules. Test multiple characters to find what works.

Pro tip: Some platforms detect and block single invisible characters. Try combining multiple different invisible characters or mixing them with regular spaces for better success rates.

What is the Invisible Character Detector?

Who Needs This Tool?

Developers

Content Creators

QA Testers

Social Media Users

Data Analysts

Anyone

Types of Invisible Characters

Zero-Width Characters

Whitespace Variations

Control Characters

Special Characters

Your Privacy

How to Use the Detector

Detecting Hidden Characters

Input Your Text

Review the Summary

Examine Detailed Results

Take Action

Removing Invisible Characters

Remove Specific Characters

Clean All at Once

Copying Text

Copying Invisible Characters

Expand Panel

Select Character

Copy Multiple

Tips for Best Results

Features

Automatic Detection

Four Character Categories

Zero-Width (Red)

Whitespace (Blue)

Control (Yellow)

Special (Purple)

Detailed Results

Short Code

Unicode Point

Occurrence Count

Remove Button

Copy Invisible Characters

Character Information

Clean and Copy Actions

Clean All

Copy Original

Copy Clean

Frequently Asked Questions

What are invisible characters?

Why does my copied text not match even though it looks identical?

How do I create a blank or invisible username?

What is Zero Width Space (ZWSP)?

What is the difference between regular space and NBSP?

U+0020

U+00A0

Is my text safe when using this tool?

Can invisible characters cause security issues?

Security Risks

Why are there invisible characters in my code?

Copy-Paste Issues

BOM Characters

Rich Text Editors

Keyboard Input

Which invisible character should I use for blank text?

Zero Width Space (ZWSP)

Hangul Filler

Braille Blank

Experiment

What are invisible characters?

Types of Invisible Characters

Common Use Cases