How do I configure and use Blocked Words?
Table of Contents
Configuring Blocked Words prevents inappropriate or non-compliant content from being sent from your brand’s accounts in Compose, Smart Inbox, Advocacy, and on mobile.
This feature is only available for Guardian customers.
To access the Blocked Words feature, you need the Manage Blocked Words permission.
To access the Blocked Words settings, navigate to Settings > Blocked Words (under Guardian).
Creating and managing lists
To create a new keyword list:
- Click Create List.
- Title your list.
- (Optional) Give your list a description.
- (Optional) Import a CSV list of words and phrases to block (note that only CSV files with a maximum file size of 5 MiB are accepted).
- Add keywords and phrases you want to block in the input field.
- Separate words and phrases by pressing enter.
- Multiple words or phrases can be copied and pasted as long as they’re separated by a comma.
- The input field has a 256 character limit.
- Use the toggles to turn blocked words on/off for different use cases, as well as choose between whether you want to block the content completely or require the content be approved before publishing
- Click Create
You can also see when a list was created or modified and you can edit, duplicate, or delete existing lists. Any changes to the settings page or attempts by a user to send a blocked word can be viewed in our customer audit trail by clicking “Export audit logs” in the top-right corner.
Blocked Words in Compose
If a blocked word or phrase is used in the post input field, the following error message appears at the bottom of the Compose window:
Blocked Words in alt text
The Blocked Words feature also applies when adding alt text. If you try to use a blocked word in alt text, a message indicates that the alt text can’t be used.
Blocked Words in transcripts
When uploading a video and adding subtitles, blocked words also trigger an error.
Blocked Words in Smart Inbox
If you attempt to reply to a message in Smart Inbox using a blocked word, an error will show indicating that the message can’t be sent.
Blocked Words in Employee Advocacy
For customers who have enabled the Advocacy integration within Sprout's settings, Blocked Words can apply in Employee Advocacy by toggling on "Shares" while editing or creating any keyword list. Learn more here.
Blocked Words on mobile
Blocked Words also apply on mobile and show similar error messages.
Preset Lists
Preset Lists provide predefined lists of vulgar or inappropriate terms in French, Portuguese, Spanish, and English. English and Spanish profanity preset lists are enabled on your account by default. Any admin with Manage Blocked Words permissions can enable, disable, edit, or delete these lists.
For each Profanity List, you can choose which area of the app you want the rule to be enforced (Compose, Replies, Shares, or all of the above).
FAQs
Can I input phrases in a Block List as well? (Two word combos for example)
Yes. This blocks for both singular words or a phrase.
Can I edit or delete predefined Profanity Lists?
Yes, these are pre-loaded into your account but owned by you. You can modify to meet the needs of your business.
Do special characters work in the blocked words list?
Yes, Sprout does an exact match and the system allows for special characters. We don’t support any wildcards in the keywords and instead would match that exact input. (e.g. ‘dumb*’ would only block ‘dumb’ not ‘dumbo’). We also do not support emojis.
Is it recorded and can it be reviewed when someone is trying to use a blocked word?
Yes, there will be an audit trail event created anytime someone attempts to use a blocked word or content is approved with a blocked word. You can access this via the customer audit trail.
Are there limitations on blocked words where they do not apply?
Blocked words don’t apply to words or phrases that are embedded within images, videos, or other non-text content, to RSS scheduled posts or any content previously scheduled prior to enabling the list. Misspellings or deliberate alterations or variations or inflections of blocked words or phrases will not be prevented from being sent unless they are on your configured list.
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