# Off Topic > Suggestions for Improvement >  >  HTML Not Allowed Errors

## ptmuldoon

I have been getting alot of HTML Errors not allowed when posting over the last few days that has been resulting in having to copy and paste a topic in 1 or 2 sentences at a time to find where it the error is occuring

And most of these topics do not have any code in them.  This last one took about 15 tries in figuring out and it appears the forum does not like the word On-Click, without the hyphen.  

Is anyone seeing similar errors and know its cause?

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## Pete_UK

I haven't encountered that particular error, but the firewall usually clicks in if you have angle brackets < > in your post for less than or greater than (or not equal to), as these are interpreted as HTML. You need to ensure that there is a space either side of the symbol for it to be posted.

Hope this helps.

Pete

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## Doc.AElstein

Hi Pete, ptmuldoon
I do not think I ever noticed yet anything to do with the *>* sign.
_._______________________________________
The most common problem is the less than sign,  (  *<*  ) ,   followed by at least  4 characters ( but *not all characters* ) 
One of the 4 characters that is not a problem is the space. So the most common solution is to add a space after the *<*
Another of the 4 characters that is not a problem is the *[* . Hence another solution is to, before you post, you color any of the 4 characters as black. This will then post because for a typical combination that would normally cause the Sucuri firewall to block you, such as this_...

<1234

_... if for example, I now  select the 3, and then select the color icon of black, then in the forum editor it will look like this ( before posting) :

 <12[color="#000000"]3[/color]4

So , you see, as far as Sucuri is concerned, it sees as the first 4 characters this:

<12[c

The presence of the *[* breaks up the forbidden 4 character string.

( I find this solution very helpful in allowing me to post obscene forbidden words.. er.. I mean I do not find it useful at all for doing that because I do not do naughty things like that, or course…  :Smilie:  )
_.________________________________





> .... This last one took about 15 tries in figuring out and it appears the forum does not like the word On-Click, without the hyphen.  ...Is anyone seeing similar errors and know its cause?



The *OnClick* is a new one on me. If it is one of those sql injection problems then it is a bit harder to track down, as it is seen as part of a sql code. Because of this , exactly what and where else you have other words may effect whether or not you get a problem with it….I have taken hours to track down the exact cause of these sorts of problems ….(  
http://www.excelforum.com/suggestion...ml#post4520072
http://www.excelforum.com/the-water-...ml#post4502342  )

If in doubt on any word that might be taken as part of a sql command,  then apply a space in the word  or use the “*black character trick* ”  on it 

The sql injection is not limited to excelforum. I have seen similar issues posting elsewhere. 

Some of us have tried to repeat the *OnClick* problem, without success yet.  As I mentioned if it is a sql problem then it is harder to track down. The hyphen solution you found , would , I expect , break down the forbidden character combination in a similar way as does the  “space” or “*black character trick*”

The  “*black character trick* ” has the advantage that you get in the final post exactly what you wanted to post, and if you copy it, it copies as you see it in the correct form  
_.._
_.....................................................
_._________________________________

*Alan
*

P.s. We need to get a simple list as Caned Dropdown reply for all things Sucuri firewall does not like, along with the work arounnds…
 
https://www.excelforum.com/the-water...ml#post4645090
https://www.excelforum.com/suggestio...ml#post4626828 
https://www.excelforum.com/suggestio...ml#post4615552 
https://www.excelforum.com/developme...ml#post4641199 
http://www.excelforum.com/developmen...ml#post4295092 
http://www.excelforum.com/the-water-...ml#post4283991 
http://www.excelforum.com/suggestion...ml#post4412541 
https://www.excelforum.com/the-water...ml#post4591609 
http://www.excelforum.com/showthread...41#post4412541 
http://www.excelforum.com/the-water-...ml#post4226385 
http://www.excelforum.com/suggestion...-a-thread.html 
http://www.excelforum.com/showthread...t=#post4520072 
http://www.excelforum.com/showthread...t=#post4502342 


Alan

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