What’s a whitespace conflict?

Updated Nov 21, 2023

A whitespace conflict happens when you name a file or folder with the same name as a file or folder in the same location, but with a space after the filename. For example, two folders named “Records” and “Records “, or two files named “pages.png” and “pages .png”.

The new file or folder you created will automatically be appended with the words (Whitespace Conflict).

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What do I do now?

If one of your files is appended with the words (Whitespace Conflict), you can resolve it with either of the following options:

  • Simply leave both files or folders alone, and let one continue to have the name appended with (Whitespace Conflict)
  • Rename one of the files or folders

How can I prevent a whitespace conflict from happening again?

If you’d like to avoid whitespace conflicts in the future, don’t create a file or folder with the same name as a file or folder in the same location, even if one has a space after the filename.

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