How To Make ChatGPT Remove Watermarks

I've been using ChatGPT for content creation, and like many others, I noticed something odd when I pasted the generated text into my code editor - invisible characters that shouldn't be there. These are watermark characters, and they can cause real problems in your workflow.

The good news? You might be able to get ChatGPT to generate cleaner text in the first place, or even ask it to remove watermarks from existing text. Let me share what I've learned about making ChatGPT produce watermark-free content.

Does ChatGPT Actually Leave Watermarks?

First, let's address the elephant in the room: does ChatGPT intentionally watermark its output?

The official stance: According to OpenAI's public statements, ChatGPT does not intentionally embed watermarks in its text output. The special characters like Zero-Width Joiners (ZWJ) and Zero-Width Spaces (ZWSP) that sometimes appear in ChatGPT responses are described as unintentional byproducts of the model's training and text generation process, not official watermarking mechanisms.

What the research says: While there's ongoing academic research into watermarking techniques for large language models (see Kirchenbauer et al., 2023 and Zhao et al., 2023), these studies focus on statistical watermarking methods rather than zero-width character insertion. The presence of zero-width characters in AI-generated text may also result from:

• Copy-paste operations between different applications
• Browser rendering and text processing pipelines
• The model's natural text generation patterns
• Unicode normalization during text processing

The reality: Whether intentional or not, these invisible characters can still appear in ChatGPT's output and cause issues. The important thing is knowing how to deal with them - either by preventing them in the first place or removing them afterward.

Understanding Watermark Characters

Before we dive into solutions, let's quickly understand what we're dealing with. These invisible characters are part of the Unicode standard, maintained by the Unicode Consortium. They serve legitimate purposes in typography and linguistics, but they can be problematic when they appear unexpectedly.

For detailed specifications, see the Unicode Character Database.

Method 1: Direct Prompting to Avoid Watermarks

The most straightforward approach is to explicitly ask ChatGPT to avoid including special characters in its output. Here are some prompt techniques that have worked for me:

Basic Request

Please generate clean text without any invisible Unicode characters, zero-width spaces, or special formatting characters. Use only standard ASCII and visible Unicode characters.

More Specific Request

When generating text, please ensure the output contains only standard visible characters. Avoid any zero-width joiners (ZWJ), zero-width spaces (ZWSP), or other invisible Unicode characters that might interfere with text processing.

For Code or Technical Content

Generate clean, plain text output suitable for code editors and text processors. Do not include any invisible characters, zero-width spaces, or special Unicode formatting characters that could cause parsing issues.

Why this might work: While ChatGPT may not intentionally add watermarks, being explicit about your requirements can help it generate cleaner output. The model is trained to follow instructions, so clear directives about character usage may influence its output.

Method 2: Asking ChatGPT to Clean Existing Text

If you already have text with potential watermarks, you can ask ChatGPT to clean it for you:

Simple Cleaning Request

Please remove any invisible Unicode characters, zero-width spaces, zero-width joiners, and other special formatting characters from the following text while preserving all visible content and formatting:

[Paste your text here]

Detailed Cleaning Request

Clean the following text by removing:
- Zero-width spaces (U+200B)
- Zero-width joiners (U+200D)
- Zero-width non-joiners (U+200C)
- Word joiners (U+2060)
- Any other invisible Unicode characters

Preserve all visible text, spacing, and formatting:

[Paste your text here]

For Code Content

Remove all invisible Unicode characters from this code/text while maintaining exact formatting and functionality:

[Paste your text here]

Effectiveness: ChatGPT can identify and remove these characters when explicitly asked, though results may vary. It's worth trying, especially for shorter texts.

Method 3: Using System Messages (For API Users)

If you're using the ChatGPT API, you can include instructions in your system message to influence output quality:

import openai

response = openai.ChatCompletion.create(
    model="gpt-4",
    messages=[
        {
            "role": "system",
            "content": "You are a helpful assistant. Always generate clean text output using only standard visible Unicode characters. Avoid zero-width spaces, zero-width joiners, and other invisible formatting characters."
        },
        {
            "role": "user",
            "content": "Write a blog post about artificial intelligence."
        }
    ]
)

Note: System messages give you more control over the model's behavior, but they're only available through the API, not the web interface.

Method 4: Post-Processing with ChatGPT

You can also use ChatGPT as a cleaning tool by asking it to reformat or rewrite text:

Rewriting Approach

Please rewrite the following text, maintaining the exact same meaning and style, but using only standard visible characters:

[Paste your text here]

Formatting Request

Format and clean this text, removing any invisible characters while preserving all content:

[Paste your text here]

Trade-off: This method may slightly alter wording or formatting, so it's best for content where exact character preservation isn't critical.

Method 5: Verification and Manual Cleaning

Even after asking ChatGPT to generate clean text, it's wise to verify the output. Here's how:

Quick JavaScript Check

// Check for zero-width characters
const text = "Your ChatGPT output here";
const hasZWJ = /\u200D/.test(text);
const hasZWSP = /\u200B/.test(text);
const hasZWNJ = /\u200C/.test(text);
const hasWJ = /\u2060/.test(text);

console.log('Zero-Width Joiner:', hasZWJ);
console.log('Zero-Width Space:', hasZWSP);
console.log('Zero-Width Non-Joiner:', hasZWNJ);
console.log('Word Joiner:', hasWJ);

Python Verification

text = "Your ChatGPT output here"
zero_width_chars = {
    'ZWJ': '\u200D',
    'ZWSP': '\u200B',
    'ZWNJ': '\u200C',
    'WJ': '\u2060'
}

for name, char in zero_width_chars.items():
    if char in text:
        print(f'{name} found: {text.count(char)} occurrences')

If watermarks are still present after prompting, you can use a dedicated cleaning tool. Try our watermark removal tool → It processes text entirely in your browser with no data transmission.

Best Practices for Clean Output

Based on my experience, here are some tips for getting the cleanest possible output from ChatGPT:

1. Be explicit in your prompts

• Clearly state your requirements about character usage
• Mention specific use cases (code, databases, APIs) if relevant

2. Use follow-up requests

• If you notice issues, ask ChatGPT to clean the text in a follow-up message
• Request verification: "Please confirm this text contains no invisible characters"

3. Specify your use case

• Mention if the text will be used in code, databases, or APIs
• This helps ChatGPT understand why clean output matters

4. Test and verify

• Always check output for invisible characters, especially for critical applications
• Use the verification methods above or a dedicated tool

5. Consider the context

• For creative writing, invisible characters are less likely to cause issues
• For technical content, code, or data processing, be more vigilant

Limitations and Considerations

It's important to understand the limitations of these methods:

ChatGPT's consistency: Even with explicit instructions, ChatGPT may still occasionally include invisible characters. The model's output is probabilistic, and it may not always perfectly follow character-level instructions.

Model updates: ChatGPT's behavior can change with model updates. What works today might work differently tomorrow.

Not a guarantee: Asking ChatGPT to avoid watermarks doesn't guarantee watermark-free output. The presence of these characters may be unintentional and not fully controllable through prompting.

Alternative methods: For critical applications, consider using dedicated cleaning tools that reliably remove these characters programmatically.

When to Use Each Method

Use direct prompting when:

• You're generating new content
• You want to prevent issues before they occur
• You're using the API with system messages

Use cleaning requests when:

• You already have text with watermarks
• You want ChatGPT to handle the cleaning
• The text is relatively short

Use verification + tools when:

• You need guaranteed clean output
• You're working with critical applications
• You want to be absolutely certain

Use a combination when:

• You're working on important projects
• You want multiple layers of protection
• You need both prevention and cleanup

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I make ChatGPT never include watermarks?

There's no guaranteed way to prevent all invisible characters from appearing in ChatGPT's output. While prompting can help, the model's behavior is probabilistic, and these characters may appear unintentionally.

Q: Will asking ChatGPT to remove watermarks always work?

Not always. ChatGPT can identify and remove these characters when explicitly asked, but results may vary. For critical applications, use dedicated cleaning tools for reliable results.

Q: Does this violate OpenAI's terms of service?

Asking ChatGPT to generate clean text or remove invisible characters is generally acceptable. However, review the OpenAI Terms of Use for your specific use case.

Q: Can I use these methods with other AI tools?

Yes, similar prompting techniques can work with Claude, Gemini, and other AI services. However, each model may respond differently to these requests.

Q: What if ChatGPT says it can't detect watermarks?

ChatGPT may not always be able to identify invisible characters in its own output. Use verification tools or dedicated cleaning software to check and clean the text.

Additional Resources

For more information on this topic:

• Unicode Consortium: Official Unicode standards and character specifications
• OpenAI Documentation: Official API documentation and best practices
• Research on AI Watermarking: Academic papers on watermarking techniques
• Our Watermark Removal Tool →: Dedicated tool for cleaning text programmatically

Bottom Line

While there's no foolproof way to guarantee ChatGPT will never include invisible watermark characters, using explicit prompts and follow-up requests can help reduce their occurrence. For the most reliable results, combine prompting techniques with verification and dedicated cleaning tools.

Remember: whether these characters are intentional watermarks or unintentional byproducts, they can still cause problems in your workflow. The best approach is to be proactive - ask for clean output, verify it, and clean it if necessary.

Need to clean existing text? Try our tool → It works entirely in your browser with no data transmission, ensuring your privacy while giving you clean, watermark-free text.

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