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.
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 logs”.
Once your list is ready, you can turn it on by clicking the list’s toggle to start blocking the specified words. Make sure to choose which are of the app you want the rule to be enforced.
Approval of Blocked Words
In the settings page of each list, you have the ability to toggle 'Require Approval if any keyword is blocked from this list'. The ability can be separated by Compose or Replies. See this article for more information about message approval workflows.
Profanity Lists
Make life easier by using predefined sets of vulgar or inappropriate terms in French, Portuguese, Spanish, and English. Enable or disable these lists with the toggle for faster setup and quicker value from Blocked Words.
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
Blocked Words apply in Employee Advocacy after selecting "Shares" in the App Area dropdown for any keyword list. Learn more here.
Blocked Words on mobile
Blocked Words also apply on mobile and show similar error messages.
Profanity Lists
Profanity Lists provide predefined sets of vulgar or inappropriate terms in French, Portuguese, Spanish, and English. You can enable or disable these lists (but not edit or delete them) for faster Blocked Words setup.
Profanity Lists are created and modified by Sprout. They aren't be editable and the lists themselves aren't viewable because of the explicit contents within them.
For each Profanity List, you can choose which area of the app you want the rule to be enforced (Compose, Replies, or both).
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?
No, Profanity Lists are created and modified by Sprout Social. They will not be editable and the list itself will not be viewable because of the explicit contents within it.
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’)
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.
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.
Was this article helpful?
