What’s Zero-Width Space?

The zero‑width space (U+200B) is a Unicode glyph that renders nothing and occupies zero width. In the right hands, this “invisible ink” changes how software treats text.

Example

Below are seven tricks I actually use, each with a quick demo.

1. Anchor an Alphabetical List
   Prefix one or more ZWS characters to push an item ahead of "A".

​Newsletter  ← with ZWS
Apple
Zucchini

2. Break Auto‑Linking
   Drop a ZWS into a URL or email to foil scrapers while leaving it human‑readable.

hello​@starikov.co
https://starikov​.co

3. Duplicate C++ Identifiers
   ZWS is a valid identifier char in many compilers.

int total = 1;     // normal
int tota​l = 2;     // looks the same, compiles fine
std::cout << total + tota​l; // prints 3

4. Python Indentation Gremlins
   Slip a ZWS into leading spaces; code looks aligned but crashes.

def hello():
    print("ok")   # four spaces
​    print("boom") # four + ZWS → IndentationError

5. Hide Easter‑Egg Text
   Insert a binary watermark every 100 chars; humans never see it, diff tools do.

6. Zero‑Length Social Forms
   Some platforms allow a username, bios, and other forms that is literally just ZWS. Pure minimalism.

7. Control word‑wrapping
   Add ZWS inside a super‑long URL to let browsers break the line without inserting a visible hyphen.

<span style="word-break:break-all">
    https://example.com/superlong​paththatneverends
</span>