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The Blank Rows That Corrupt a Bulk Upload

A redirect import, a disavow file or a bulk edit that contains blank rows behaves unpredictably. Some systems skip them, some error, and some create empty records.

A redirect import, a disavow file or a bulk edit that contains blank rows behaves unpredictably. Some systems skip them, some error, and some create empty records.

The worst outcome

A blank line in a redirect file that gets interpreted as a rule with an empty source or destination. Depending on the platform, that can produce a redirect affecting far more than intended, and it is not obvious in a list of hundreds of rules.

Clean before every upload

Trim, remove blanks, then check the count matches what you expect. Three seconds against the possibility of a malformed rule going live.

Verify after upload too

Compare the number of rows the system reports having accepted against the number you submitted. A mismatch means something was skipped or merged, and finding that immediately is far cheaper than discovering it from a traffic report weeks later.

Try it: Remove Blank Lines on SeoWolf's Notepad.