Overview
If you notice unusual or large spacing in the Exhibitor Online Profile description, this is typically caused by hidden HTML formatting being copied from external platforms (such as Word, websites, or marketing documents).
When exhibitors copy and paste content into the description field, HTML elements such as (non-breaking spaces) can be carried over. These may cause formatting issues on the frontend of the website.
This guide explains:
Why the issue happens
How to bulk clean the descriptions
How to manually fix individual profiles
How to help prevent the issue in future
Why This Happens
When text is copied from another source, hidden HTML formatting is often included. This can result in:
Large spacing between paragraphs
Irregular line breaks
Inconsistent formatting on the frontend
While the system allows formatted text, it cannot automatically prevent external HTML from being pasted.
Option 1: Bulk Fix (Recommended First Step)
This method allows you to clean multiple exhibitor descriptions at once.
Step 1: Export Exhibitor Data
Go to Modules > Exhibitors
Select More > Export
Click Edit Layout
Select only the following fields:
Account Number
Online Profile (Description)
Title
Click Apply Layout
Select Edit Filters
Set Is Active = Yes
Apply the filter
Click More > Export as CSV
Step 2: Clean the CSV File
Open the downloaded CSV file in Excel.
Go to Home > Find & Select > Replace
In Find what, enter:
ÂLeave Replace with blank.
Click Replace All
Save the file.
This removes common encoding characters that cause spacing issues.
Step 3: Re-Import the Cleaned File
Go to Modules > Exhibitors
Select More > Import
Upload the cleaned CSV file
Choose import method: Update Existing
Map the fields carefully:
Ensure Account Number, Online Profile (Description) and Title are correctly mapped
Ignore the Contact Title field (this refers to suffixes such as Mr/Ms, not the company name)
Click Save
Review the mapping again on the confirmation screen
Click Submit
Important Note
The bulk update may not remove all unwanted spacing, as some formatting issues are embedded deeper within the HTML.
We recommend reviewing a few affected exhibitor profiles after import to confirm the issue has been resolved.
Option 2: Manual Fix (For Individual Exhibitors)
If spacing still appears incorrectly after the bulk update:
Go to Modules > Exhibitors
Search for the affected exhibitor
Open the profile and navigate to:
General > Online Profile / DescriptionClick the Source (</>) button in the editor toolbar
Locate and remove any instances of:
Save the profile
This allows you to directly remove the HTML causing excessive spacing.
Recommended Prevention
Since this issue is caused by copying and pasting formatted text, we strongly recommend:
Adding help text below the Online Profile field in the backend
Advising exhibitors to:
Paste text as plain text
Or type directly into the description field
Avoid copying directly from Word or websites
Example help text:
“Please avoid copying and pasting formatted text from external sources, as this may affect how your profile appears on the website. For best results, paste as plain text or type directly into this field.”
This can significantly reduce formatting issues going forward.
Need Further Assistance?
If spacing issues persist after following the steps above, please contact support with the exhibitor name and we will be happy to assist further.
Comments
0 comments
Please sign in to leave a comment.