The � character appears when special characters in your content are altered during email processing. The most common cause is a non-breaking space (the character), which is a fixed space that keeps two words on the same line. Non-breaking spaces are usually introduced when you copy text from another source, such as a Word document, a web page, or AI-generated content, and paste it into the Email Builder.
When an email containing these characters is sent through SendGrid and passes through Mimecast, Mimecast can re-encode them incorrectly. Your recipients then see � wherever the original special character or non-breaking space was.
How do I fix the � character myself?
Prevent non-breaking spaces
- Type text directly into the Email Builder instead of copying it from another source
- If you must copy text, paste it as plain text: right-click and choose Paste as plain text, or press
Ctrl+Shift+V(Windows) orShift+Command+V(Mac)
Pasting as plain text reduces non-breaking spaces but may not remove every one.
Fix existing � characters
- In the Email Builder, find each place where a � appears and delete the space there
- Add a new space with the spacebar
- As an alternative, open the draft's JSON with a program like Visual Studio Code and use Find and Replace to replace every � with a regular space
Test your fix correctly
- Use the Send & Track (Web Add-in) or Send now (Web App) button to send yourself a test
- Confirm the � character no longer appears in the received email