diff --git a/examples/draft-preview/src/collections/Pages/hooks/formatSlug.ts b/examples/draft-preview/src/collections/Pages/hooks/formatSlug.ts
index 9d4c53dc8bc..c1c300cd3bb 100644
--- a/examples/draft-preview/src/collections/Pages/hooks/formatSlug.ts
+++ b/examples/draft-preview/src/collections/Pages/hooks/formatSlug.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import type { FieldHook } from 'payload'
 
 const format = (val: string): string =>
   val
+    .trim()
     .replace(/ /g, '-')
     .replace(/[^\w-]+/g, '')
     .toLowerCase()
diff --git a/examples/form-builder/src/utilities/formatSlug.ts b/examples/form-builder/src/utilities/formatSlug.ts
index b06271b018a..58a391f48f2 100644
--- a/examples/form-builder/src/utilities/formatSlug.ts
+++ b/examples/form-builder/src/utilities/formatSlug.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import type { FieldHook } from 'payload'
 
 const format = (val: string): string =>
   val
+    .trim()
     .replace(/ /g, '-')
     .replace(/[^\w-]+/g, '')
     .toLowerCase()
diff --git a/examples/live-preview/src/collections/Pages/hooks/formatSlug.ts b/examples/live-preview/src/collections/Pages/hooks/formatSlug.ts
index 9d4c53dc8bc..c1c300cd3bb 100644
--- a/examples/live-preview/src/collections/Pages/hooks/formatSlug.ts
+++ b/examples/live-preview/src/collections/Pages/hooks/formatSlug.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import type { FieldHook } from 'payload'
 
 const format = (val: string): string =>
   val
+    .trim()
     .replace(/ /g, '-')
     .replace(/[^\w-]+/g, '')
     .toLowerCase()
diff --git a/examples/localization/src/fields/slug/formatSlug.ts b/examples/localization/src/fields/slug/formatSlug.ts
index e9a8fb61716..cf2cf128ff5 100644
--- a/examples/localization/src/fields/slug/formatSlug.ts
+++ b/examples/localization/src/fields/slug/formatSlug.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import type { FieldHook } from 'payload'
 
 export const formatSlug = (val: string): string =>
   val
+    .trim()
     .replace(/ /g, '-')
     .replace(/[^\w-]+/g, '')
     .toLowerCase()
diff --git a/examples/localization/src/hooks/formatSlug.ts b/examples/localization/src/hooks/formatSlug.ts
index 43190f88cc2..177050045a2 100644
--- a/examples/localization/src/hooks/formatSlug.ts
+++ b/examples/localization/src/hooks/formatSlug.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import type { FieldHook } from 'payload'
 
 const format = (val: string): string =>
   val
+    .trim()
     .replace(/ /g, '-')
     .replace(/[^\w-]+/g, '')
     .toLowerCase()
diff --git a/packages/payload/src/utilities/slugify.ts b/packages/payload/src/utilities/slugify.ts
index 4c190f2a049..539e7ff134d 100644
--- a/packages/payload/src/utilities/slugify.ts
+++ b/packages/payload/src/utilities/slugify.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 export const slugify = (val?: string): string | undefined =>
   val
-    ?.replace(/ /g, '-')
+    ?.trim()
+    .replace(/ /g, '-')
     .replace(/[^\w-]+/g, '')
     .toLowerCase()
diff --git a/test/live-preview/utilities/formatSlug.ts b/test/live-preview/utilities/formatSlug.ts
index 95872dd955f..ddace6272bb 100644
--- a/test/live-preview/utilities/formatSlug.ts
+++ b/test/live-preview/utilities/formatSlug.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import type { FieldHook } from 'payload'
 
 const format = (val: string): string =>
   val
+    .trim()
     .replace(/ /g, '-')
     .replace(/[^\w-]+/g, '')
     .toLowerCase()