diff --git a/changedetectionio/api/Watch.py b/changedetectionio/api/Watch.py
index f9490e837bf..273572d38db 100644
--- a/changedetectionio/api/Watch.py
+++ b/changedetectionio/api/Watch.py
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 from . import validate_openapi_request, get_readonly_watch_fields
 from ..notification import valid_notification_formats
 from ..notification.handler import newline_re
+from ..processors.text_json_diff.difference import DIFF_PREFERENCES_CONFIG, parse_diff_preferences
 
 
 def validate_time_between_check_required(json_data):
@@ -338,22 +339,14 @@ def get(self, uuid, from_timestamp, to_timestamp):
             word_diff = True
 
         # Get boolean diff preferences with defaults from DIFF_PREFERENCES_CONFIG
-        changes_only = strtobool(request.args.get('changesOnly', 'true'))
-        ignore_whitespace = strtobool(request.args.get('ignoreWhitespace', 'false'))
-        include_removed = strtobool(request.args.get('removed', 'true'))
-        include_added = strtobool(request.args.get('added', 'true'))
-        include_replaced = strtobool(request.args.get('replaced', 'true'))
+        prefs, render_kwargs = parse_diff_preferences(request.args)
 
         # Generate the diff with all preferences
         content = diff.render_diff(
             previous_version_file_contents=from_version_file_contents,
             newest_version_file_contents=to_version_file_contents,
-            ignore_junk=ignore_whitespace,
-            include_equal=changes_only,
-            include_removed=include_removed,
-            include_added=include_added,
-            include_replaced=include_replaced,
             word_diff=word_diff,
+            **render_kwargs,
         )
 
         # Skip formatting if no_markup is set
diff --git a/changedetectionio/processors/text_json_diff/difference.py b/changedetectionio/processors/text_json_diff/difference.py
index e89b5d9b42b..29df6b2ff63 100644
--- a/changedetectionio/processors/text_json_diff/difference.py
+++ b/changedetectionio/processors/text_json_diff/difference.py
@@ -99,6 +99,26 @@ def build_diff_cell_visualizer(content, resolution=100):
     'type': {'default': 'diffLines', 'type': 'value'},
 }
 
+def parse_diff_preferences(args, checkbox_mode=False):
+    parsed = {}
+    render_kwargs = {}
+
+    for query_name, config in DIFF_PREFERENCES_CONFIG.items():
+        value = args.get(query_name, config['default'])
+
+        if config['type'] == 'bool':
+            if checkbox_mode:
+                value = strtobool(args.get(query_name, 'off'))
+            else:
+                value = strtobool(value)
+
+        parsed[query_name] = value
+
+        if 'render_arg' in config:
+            render_kwargs[config['render_arg']] = value
+
+    return parsed, render_kwargs
+
 def render(watch, datastore, request, url_for, render_template, flash, redirect, extract_form=None):
     """
     Render the history/diff view for text/JSON/HTML changes.
@@ -166,30 +186,12 @@ def render(watch, datastore, request, url_for, render_template, flash, redirect,
 
     datastore.set_last_viewed(uuid, time.time())
 
-    # Parse diff preferences from request using config as single source of truth
-    # Check if this is a user submission (any diff pref param exists in query string)
-    user_submitted = any(key in request.args for key in DIFF_PREFERENCES_CONFIG.keys())
-
-    diff_prefs = {}
-    for key, config in DIFF_PREFERENCES_CONFIG.items():
-        if user_submitted:
-            # User submitted form - missing checkboxes are explicitly OFF
-            if config['type'] == 'bool':
-                diff_prefs[key] = strtobool(request.args.get(key, 'off'))
-            else:
-                diff_prefs[key] = request.args.get(key, config['default'])
-        else:
-            # Initial load - use defaults from config
-            diff_prefs[key] = config['default']
+    diff_prefs, render_kwargs = parse_diff_preferences(request.args)
 
     content = diff.render_diff(previous_version_file_contents=from_version_file_contents,
                                newest_version_file_contents=to_version_file_contents,
-                               include_replaced=diff_prefs['replaced'],
-                               include_added=diff_prefs['added'],
-                               include_removed=diff_prefs['removed'],
-                               include_equal=diff_prefs['changesOnly'],
-                               ignore_junk=diff_prefs['ignoreWhitespace'],
                                word_diff=diff_prefs['type'] == 'diffWords',
+                               **render_kwargs,
                                )
 
     # Build cell grid visualizer before applying HTML color (so we can detect placemarkers)