# Watched words links corrupt @mentions and #categories

**URL:** <https://meta.discourse.org/t/watched-words-links-corrupt-mentions-and-categories/202161>\
**Category:** Bug\
**Tags:** watched-words\
**Created:** [August 30, 2021, 7:47pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/watched-words-links-corrupt-mentions-and-categories/202161 "2021-08-30T19:47:04Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 3

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**Author:** ![Simon\_Manning](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/simon_manning/32/198596_2.png) [@Simon\_Manning](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Simon_Manning)\
**Post date:** [August 31, 2021, 12:39pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/watched-words-links-corrupt-mentions-and-categories/202161/3 "2021-08-31T12:39:54Z")

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If reasonably possible, the safest behaviour would seem to me to be only applying a watched words match if an @mentions, #categories or #tags match has not already been made.

That would allow mention/category/tag links to be used where watched words happen to overlap while also still allowing watched words to catch something in e.g. #NotACategoryOrTag

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