If you’re using Common Ninja’s Listing widget and notice that filter options are missing or showing up as blank, it’s usually caused by one of two things:
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Hidden formatting issues in your data (extra spaces, line breaks, or other invisible characters)
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Incorrect or broken mapping in the Data Mapper
1. Hidden Spaces, Line Breaks & Extra Characters
One of the most common causes of missing or broken dropdown filters is hidden characters in your data.
Even if values in a column look the same to the eye, there may be:
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Extra spaces before or after the text
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Line breaks, especially if data was pasted from another source
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Special characters or non-printing symbols
These subtle differences can cause filters to treat values as unique or invalid, resulting in filters not populating correctly.
How to Fix:
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In Google Sheets, use the formula
=TRIM(A1)across your filter columns to clean up unwanted spaces. -
Scan your file for any irregularities like blank cells, strange symbols, or line breaks.
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Be consistent with value formatting—even if capitalization doesn’t matter, spacing and clean structure do.
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If you’re using Google Sheets or Dropbox, simply save your changes—no need to manually sync or re-upload.
2. Data Mapper Configuration Issues
Even if your data is clean, filter options won’t appear unless your Data Mapper is set up properly.
Common Issues:
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The filter column isn’t mapped in the widget settings.
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The column name in your spreadsheet was changed, and the widget mapping is now broken.
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The wrong field is selected as the filter source, or a deleted column is still being referenced.
How to Fix:
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Go to your widget’s Data Mapper tab.
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Make sure the field you want to use for filtering is properly mapped to the right column.
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Double-check that the column headers in your source file match exactly (no extra spaces or hidden characters in the header itself).
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If you update the header names in your file, revisit the Data Mapper to ensure the mapping still matches.
If the issue persist, reach out the support for further assistance.