diff --git a/tasks/compress_attributes.js b/tasks/compress_attributes.js
index 139086e8900..b2f43e7e5d4 100644
--- a/tasks/compress_attributes.js
+++ b/tasks/compress_attributes.js
@@ -5,25 +5,27 @@ var through = require('through2');
  * of the plotly.js bundles
  */
 
+var WHITESPACE_BEFORE = '\\s*';
+var OPTIONAL_COMMA = ',?';
 
 // one line string with or without trailing comma
 function makeStringRegex(attr) {
     return makeRegex(
-        attr + ': \'.*\'' + ',?'
+        WHITESPACE_BEFORE + attr + ': \'.*\'' + OPTIONAL_COMMA
     );
 }
 
 // joined array of strings with or without trailing comma
 function makeJoinedArrayRegex(attr) {
     return makeRegex(
-        attr + ': \\[[\\s\\S]*?\\]' + '\\.join\\(.*' + ',?'
+        WHITESPACE_BEFORE + attr + ': \\[[\\s\\S]*?\\]' + '\\.join\\(.*' + OPTIONAL_COMMA
     );
 }
 
 // array with or without trailing comma
 function makeArrayRegex(attr) {
     return makeRegex(
-        attr + ': \\[[\\s\\S]*?\\]' + ',?'
+        WHITESPACE_BEFORE + attr + ': \\[[\\s\\S]*?\\]' + OPTIONAL_COMMA
     );
 }