# Blocking links to executable files

**URL:** <https://meta.discourse.org/t/blocking-links-to-executable-files/152980>\
**Category:** Support\
**Created:** [May 27, 2020, 3:51pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/blocking-links-to-executable-files/152980 "2020-05-27T15:51:22Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![lasjorg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9fc348/32.png) [@lasjorg](https://meta.discourse.org/u/lasjorg)\
**Post date:** [May 27, 2020, 3:51pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/blocking-links-to-executable-files/152980/1 "2020-05-27T15:51:22Z")

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Is there an official way to block user-posted links that points to executable files? I’m guessing one option might be to use the censored pattern and a regex, just wondering if there is a better way?

Thank you.

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**Author:** ![Falco](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/falco/32/179432_2.png) [@Falco](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Falco)\
**Post date:** [May 27, 2020, 4:17pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/blocking-links-to-executable-files/152980/2 "2020-05-27T16:17:29Z")

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Even with a regex, users can mask the link using a url shortener service.

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**Author:** ![lasjorg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9fc348/32.png) [@lasjorg](https://meta.discourse.org/u/lasjorg)\
**Post date:** [May 27, 2020, 4:45pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/blocking-links-to-executable-files/152980/3 "2020-05-27T16:45:46Z")

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That’s true. But that would be true no matter what we were trying to block (like a spam link that otherwise possibly was blocked/flagged).

I was just wondering if the link was an obvious link to an executable if there was some build-in way or plug-in.