Creating new lines in the disavow file properly

[deeper]

Hi,
John Mueller from Google said one should create new lines in the disavow file just by using "enter".

May be some of the techsavvy webmasters here know if it is technically the same to click in the new lines and creating them this way? Or does it generate different code which could be misinterpretated by the analyzing tech tools of Google?

I use notepad++.

[aakk9999]

I am puzzled how can you create a "new line" with a mouse when using Notepad++. I also use Notepad++ and if I create a new file, the only way to create a new line in the file is to hit [Enter].

Note that if I hit enter many times then I cam "move" to what it appears a new line (but is in fact just blank existing line) by clicking with mouse in empty line - so I am not sure if this is what you mean.

Number of lines in Notepad++ is shown on the left and as long as there is a "number" visible in there, the line exists, even if it looks "empty"

With regards to the format, Google also says that

(...) the file type must be .txt and it must be encoded in UTF-8 or 7-bit ASCII

[deeper]

UTF-8 and .txt... yes I did consider this.

I just have tried to create a new line in notepad++ by clicking and you are right: doesn't work. Probably your assumption is also right, i.e., I created a lot of new lines when starting the file and later just clicked in the already existing empty lines.
I don't remember, creating the file was a longer process, so I'm not sure, but this is the most probable explanation.
Or is there any other one?

Why had this question originally been asked und answered if it is the only way?

[JD_Toims]

Why had this question originally been asked und answered if it is the only way?

I would guess it was likely by someone thinking about creating the file dynamically using a server-side scripting language or something along those lines where \n (new line), \r (carriage return), \r\n (carriage return, new line) are different ways of starting a new line.

[deeper]

O.K., then I think there is no problem for me.

I was a bit unsure because the file is analyzed automatically by technical devices of Google, not manually. And it is said that there is always unseen code generated. So my fear was the file could not be evaluated, without a chance for me to realize this.

[JS_Harris]

You can create new lines in notepad++ by pasting content from another source. If that source didn't use carriage markup within the code(not visible) then you'll get a bunch of what looks like new lines but the text will actually jumble when read by some other programs.

[deeper]

Oh, that's bad news. I'm rather sure at least partly having pasted content from another source. I pasted from MS Word to notepad++ and then from this notepad++-document to another one, the final.

How can I check if there are proper line breaks? Or better make the file again (mercy!)?

Generating a new file by "enter" and then pasting in the content for this line (the domain) is safe?

[aakk9999]

You can check in this way:

Try to open this text document in the notepad (windows notepad) and remove word wrap (when you open the file in notepad, go to "Format" menu and uncheck the Word Wrap option).

If you then see each entry on a separate line, you will be ok as Notepad requires both, CR/LF to show the text in the new line (having only LF is not enough for notepad and will show it as black box in the text which will wrap).

But since you have initially pasted from Word, I think you will be ok.

[Planet13]

another option is to use the view menu and select show all characters .

also be sure to look for spaces as well because a disavow file should not have spaces in it (unless you have comments in it.)

[deeper]

Thank you.

After checking "show all characters" I see "CR LF" (white letters with black blackground) at the end of every line, like this:

# no reaction from webmastersCRLF
domain:potatoes.deCRLF
domain:apples.deCRLF
domain:bananas.deCRLF

The last line has NO "CRLF", but that is o.k. I guess because it is the last one?

@aakk9999:
I was recommended to avoid the notepad of MS, because it produces unseen junk code which could be problematic for the disavow file. But CRLF is necessary and MUST be there?

Planet13:
There are some lines with a space before "CRLF", like this:
domain:apples.de CRLF

Is this the space you are talking of and which should be avoided (just by using "backspace")?

[deeper]

Noone here any more?

[aakk9999]

But CRLF is necessary and MUST be there?

Yes, this is ok, this is "carriage return/line feed" that results in a new line. Removing these would result in removing line break, so yes, they must be there.

If you want to remove a space before CRLF, using backspace is fine.

[deeper]

So, if my lines show CRLF and NO OTHER code elements (junk code, which is said to be produced sometimes by Microsofts Word or Notepad) it should be fine?

Btw, recently Google seem to give an information in the webmaster tools when the disavow file is not correct technically. But I'm not sure if it just a rumour.

[aakk9999]

Microsoft Word produces "junk code", that is, extra code. It should be used for Documents and not for Text files.

As far as I know, Microsoft Notepad does not produce extra junk code (as long as you do not use "wrap text" option in Notepad).

From what you have described you are seeing, you should be fine.

[deeper]

What I see is just like this:
domain:potatoes.deCRLF

and sometimes a space at the end, which I can delete:
domain:bananas.de CRLF

[Planet13]

I think either way should be fine, space or no space.

Remember that the comments are FOR YOU ONLY! No one at google is going to take the time to read your comments. They are just there to remind YOU of something (like when you might want to try and re-contact the webmaster).

If you are filing a reconsideration request, you should put the comments for GOOGLE to read in the reconsideration request itself, NOT in the disavow file.

As such, I probably would NOT use comments in the disavow file because it just increases your chances that you might have a problem (with formatting, for example).

~~~~

"Btw, recently Google seem to give an information in the webmaster tools when the disavow file is not correct technically. But I'm not sure if it just a rumour."

You might be notified when you try to upload your file if it is formatted improperly.

For instance, I think I used the http:// prefix on a line that I was also using the domain: operator and it notified me when I tried to upload the file that it wasn't formatted properly.

[deeper]

The space in some cases, which I could delete is at the end of real content lines, not comments.
The space is between de and CRLF:
domain:bananas.de CRLF

Obviously this is not the space you meant and may be it is no problem for Google, but it's no hard work to delete some single spaces and make all lines uniformly.

[JD_Toims]

I'm not sure about Notepad, but I know in the text editors I use deleting a space from the and of a line can usually be done with find/replace by placing the cursor at the beginning of the line below one ending with a space, then clicking and selecting up to the end of the preceding line [including the space], copy that, click find/replace, paste into the find, paste into the replace *and* delete the space from the replace box, then "replace all".

[deeper]

Thanks, good idea. This will nurse my eyes.