ZWSPs

Zero-width spaces, abbreviated ZWSPs, are a family of Unicode characters that have no visible width when rendered. The most common representative is U+200B, called ZERO WIDTH SPACE. They are non-printing formatting characters used to influence text processing and layout without introducing visible marks.

Encoding and properties: ZWSPs are in the Unicode general category Cf (format) and typically have the bidirectional class BN (boundary neutral). They render as invisible and do not occupy visible space; their presence is detectable by software but not seen by readers. They can affect line breaking and word segmentation in some rendering pipelines, depending on the platform and font.

Common uses: ZWSPs are used to control text flow in environments that rely on break opportunities rather than explicit spaces. They can mark potential line breaks, aid word segmentation in languages that do not use spaces, or influence shaping in complex scripts. They are also used in text-editing, input methods, and data processing to insert invisible markers without adding visible symbols.

Limitations and considerations: Because they are invisible, ZWSPs can confuse users and cause differences between how text is stored, copied, searched, or displayed across systems. Some software may strip or preserve them inconsistently. They can also be exploited to hide content or to bypass simple filters, so their use is generally discouraged in user-visible content.

Related characters: Zero Width Joiner (U+200D) and Zero Width Non-Joiner (U+200C).