> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://helpcenter.channable.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://helpcenter.channable.com/import-data/import-how-to/import-your-product-data/import-via-a-data-file/requirements-for-import-files/encoding.md).

# Encoding

Encoding ensures all characters in your data file are displayed correctly when importing your product data. Choosing the wrong encoding type can lead to misinterpreted data, which can affect your entire dataset.

For example, special characters like `é` and `ä` can appear as strange symbols or quotation marks (`?`).

***

### Common encoding types

* **UTF-8:** Recommended for most languages. Can handle a wide array of characters.
* **ISO-8859-1:** Suitable for data containing characters from Western European languages. Supports a more limited character set compared to UTF-8.

### How Channable handles encoding

When importing product data from a data file, you'll be prompted to select your encoding type.

* **Automatically detect:** Channable will attempt to automatically identify your encoding type by analyzing common patterns in your data file. This works for most standard imports.
* **Manually select:** If you know your file's specific coding type, select it from the list.

### Why is selecting the right encoding important?

If after importing your product data you see strange, unreadable characters, or special characters are missing, this is likely an encoding error.

Selecting the right encoding tells Channable how to interpret your data to ensure your product names, descriptions, and other attributes display correctly.


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