# See an extra space

Keep the exact space visible and inspect the mismatch.

Source: https://help.smartfact.ai/matchbench/guides/space-mismatch

Audience: Operator

## See an extra space

1. **Start a comparison**

   Start a comparison.

   Use a known reference and check each label separately. These practice values are synthetic. An exact match is not a physical contents or optical approval.

2. **Keep every leading zero**

   Keep every leading zero.

   Enter the complete reference. MatchBench preserves each character exactly, including spaces and leading zeroes.

3. **Move on to checking labels**

   Move on to checking labels.

   The reference stays fixed until you deliberately change it. Each submitted comparison stays in history.

4. **Find an extra space**

   Find an extra space.

   The comparison has one extra trailing space. The visible space marker makes the difference clear. MatchBench does not trim it.

5. **Review every retained check**

   Review every retained check.

   Review the newest check first, with its original reference and recorded entry source. A correction does not delete the earlier observation.

[Watch or practise this chapter](https://help.smartfact.ai/matchbench/demo?guide=space-mismatch&chapter=space-mismatch)