CSV Encoding Checker: what to check
Encoding and byte order mark warnings appear first. Detection is an informed guess for some files, so the preview and manual override matter.
How encoding detection works
CommaMend first recognizes UTF-8 and UTF-16 byte order marks where present. If an unmarked file is not valid UTF-8, the preview falls back to a clearly labeled Windows-1252 interpretation. That fallback is not a guarantee that the original encoding was Windows-1252.
A UTF-8 byte order mark is a small marker before the first header. Some importers accept it; others may mistake it for part of the header. The tool identifies it and can re-export without it after approval.
Try an explicit encoding when names look wrong
Open File format & scan options to select UTF-8, Windows-1252, UTF-16 LE, or UTF-16 BE. Re-scan Original reads the untouched source again and resets the working edits, so save a needed working copy before changing this setting.
Check accented letters, non-Latin names, and currency symbols in several rows. A replacement character may mean information was already lost before the file reached you. Exporting as UTF-8 cannot reconstruct a missing character; use a better source file or edit the intended value.
What the UTF-8 export changes
A corrected download is UTF-8 without a byte order mark. It preserves the displayed text rather than converting names into numbers or normalizing their spelling. Confirm that the receiving system accepts UTF-8 and the selected delimiter.
Try a real CSV example
| Name | City |
|---|---|
| Zoë | Montréal |
| 李明 | 北京 |
The downloadable sample is UTF-8 with a byte order mark. Its names and cities should remain readable when the marker is removed.
Download the example CSVSelect the example in the tool above. Your file is processed locally, and changes require your approval.