UTF-8 has no byte-order issue; a UTF-8 BOM is only a signature. Some protocols or tools dislike a BOM, while some spreadsheet workflows use it to detect UTF-8.
| Encoding | Unit | BOM bytes | Typical note |
|---|---|---|---|
| UTF-8 | Variable 1–4 bytes | Optional signature EF BB BF | Best default for modern web/data exchange |
| UTF-16LE | 2-byte code units | FF FE | Windows/internal interoperability cases |
| UTF-16BE | 2-byte code units | FE FF | Specified big-endian workflows |
| UTF-32LE | 4-byte code units | FF FE 00 00 | Rare in interchange |
| UTF-32BE | 4-byte code units | 00 00 FE FF | Rare in interchange |
| Shift_JIS / CP932 | Legacy multibyte | None | Legacy Japanese systems / CSV imports |
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Verified: 2026-08-31. This page prioritizes primary standards and official registries. Time-sensitive items should be rechecked against the linked source.