Add support for regular expressions in `$app` modifier #714

SelYui · 2025-06-26T14:04:28Z

This PR updates the $app modifier documentation to include support for regular expressions
AdguardTeam/CoreLibs#1906

Add support for regular expressions in `$app` modifier

add mix

docs/general/ad-filtering/create-own-filters.md

updated based on comments

docs/general/ad-filtering/create-own-filters.md

fixed wildcard

fix trailing spaces

…eBase into feature/AG-35374

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windsurf-bot · 2025-08-11T09:39:34Z

docs/general/ad-filtering/create-own-filters.md

@@ -1939,7 +1967,7 @@ In AdGuard for Windows, Mac and Android with [CoreLibs] v1.11 or later, JSONPath
 {
    "elems": [
        {
-            "a": {"b": {"c": 123}},
+            "a": {"b": {"c": 123}}


The comma at the end of line 1970 was removed, but this would make the JSON example invalid. JSON requires commas between array/object elements.

windsurf-bot · 2025-08-11T09:39:34Z

docs/general/ad-filtering/create-own-filters.md

+You can use regular expressions in the `$app` modifier by enclosing them in forward slashes `/.../`. This allows for more flexible matching — for example, targeting a group of apps from the same publisher or matching complex patterns.
+
+- `||baddomain.com^$app=/org\.example\.[a-z0-9_]+/` — applies to all apps whose package name starts with `org.example` (e.g. `org.example.app1`, `org.example.utility`, etc.).
+- `||baddomain.com^$app=/^org\.example\.app\$\|^org\.example\.[ab].*/` — applies to `org.example.app` and to any app whose package starts with `org.example.a` or `org.example.b`.


This regular expression example is quite complex with double escaping. Consider adding a simpler example first before showing this more advanced pattern, or adding a comment explaining the escaping requirements (e.g., why \. is needed instead of just .).

el-termikael · 2025-08-12T15:53:04Z

docs/general/ad-filtering/create-own-filters.md

@@ -425,6 +425,19 @@ This modifier lets you narrow the rule coverage down to a specific application (

 For Mac, you can find out the bundle ID or the process name of the app by viewing the respective request details in the Filtering log.

+**Syntax**
+
+The modifier is a list of one or more expressions separated by the `|` symbol, each of which is matched against a application in a particular way depending on its type (see below).


Suggested change

The modifier is a list of one or more expressions separated by the `|` symbol, each of which is matched against a application in a particular way depending on its type (see below).

The modifier is a list of one or more expressions, each of which is matched against an application in a particular way depending on its type. These expressions are separated by the `|` symbol.

el-termikael · 2025-08-12T15:55:23Z

docs/general/ad-filtering/create-own-filters.md

+entry_i = ( regular_app / wildcard_app / regexp )
+```
+
+- **`regular_app`** — a regular application name (`example.app`). Corresponds the specified application and its subapplications. It is matched lexicographically.


Suggested change

- **`regular_app`** — a regular application name (`example.app`). Corresponds the specified application and its subapplications. It is matched lexicographically.

- **`regular_app`** — a regular application name (`example.app`). It corresponds to the specified application and its subapplications and is matched lexicographically.

el-termikael · 2025-08-12T15:56:04Z

docs/general/ad-filtering/create-own-filters.md

+
+- **`regular_app`** — a regular application name (`example.app`). Corresponds the specified application and its subapplications. It is matched lexicographically.
+- **`wildcard_app`** — an application name ending with a wildcard character `*`, such as `org.example.*` or `com.ad*`. It matches all applications whose names start with the specified prefix. Matching is done lexicographically.
+- **`regexp`** — a regular expression, starts and ends with `/`. The pattern works the same way as in the basic URL rules, but the characters `/`, `$`, `,`, and `|` must be escaped with `\`.


Suggested change

- **`regexp`** — a regular expression, starts and ends with `/`. The pattern works the same way as in the basic URL rules, but the characters `/`, `$`, `,`, and `|` must be escaped with `\`.

- **`regexp`** — a regular expression that starts and ends with `/`. It works the same way as the basic URL rules, but the characters `/`, `$`, `,`, and `|` must be escaped with `\`.

el-termikael · 2025-08-12T15:56:18Z

docs/general/ad-filtering/create-own-filters.md

@@ -435,17 +448,32 @@ If you want the rule not to be applied to certain apps, start the app name with
 - `||baddomain.com^$app=~org.example.app` — a rule to block requests that match the specified mask and are sent from any app except for the `org.example.app`.
 - `||baddomain.com^$app=~org.example.app1|~org.example.app2` — same as above, but now two apps are excluded: `org.example.app1` and `org.example.app2`.

+You can use wildcards in the $app modifier:


Suggested change

You can use wildcards in the $app modifier:

You can use wildcards in the `$app` modifier:

el-termikael · 2025-08-12T15:58:16Z

docs/general/ad-filtering/create-own-filters.md

+
+The `$app` modifier supports combining all three types of entries — plain names, wildcards, and regular expressions — within the same rule, but it does not allow combining negated and non-negated expressions together.
+
+- `||example.com^$app=org.example.app|org.example.*|/org\.example\.[a-z]+/` — applies to `org.example.app`, all matching `org.example.*` and all matching `org.example.[a-z]+` apps.


Suggested change

- `||example.com^$app=org.example.app|org.example.*|/org\.example\.[a-z]+/` — applies to `org.example.app`, all matching `org.example.*` and all matching `org.example.[a-z]+` apps.

- `||example.com^$app=org.example.app|org.example.*|/org\.example\.[a-z]+/` — applies to `org.example.app`, all matching `org.example.*` and `org.example.[a-z]+` apps.

el-termikael · 2025-08-12T15:58:31Z

docs/general/ad-filtering/create-own-filters.md

-Apps in the modifier value cannot have a wildcard, e.g. `$app=com.*.music`.
-Rules with such modifier are considered invalid.
+- Apps in the modifier value cannot include a wildcard inside the string , e.g. `$app=com.*.music`.
+  Use a regular expression instead: `$app=/com\..*\.music/`


Suggested change

Use a regular expression instead: `$app=/com\..*\.music/`

Use a regular expression instead: `$app=/com\..*\.music/`.

slvvko · 2025-08-13T01:26:52Z

docs/general/ad-filtering/create-own-filters.md


 :::

 :::info Compatibility

 - Only AdGuard for Windows, Mac, Android are technically capable of using rules with `$app` modifier.
 - On Windows the process name is case-insensitive starting with AdGuard for Windows with [CoreLibs] v1.12 or later.
+- Support for regular expressions and combined formats in `$app` is available starting from CoreLibs v1.19 or later.


what does combined formats mean? it cannot be searched on the page. i.e. it looks like you are introducing a new term here

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Add support for regular expressions in `$app` modifier

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Yuriy Selivanov and others added 4 commits August 4, 2025 16:27

Update create-own-filters.md

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fixed wildcard

Merge branch 'master' into feature/AG-35374

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Update create-own-filters.md

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fix trailing spaces

Merge branch 'feature/AG-35374' of https://github.com/SelYui/Knowledg…

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…eBase into feature/AG-35374

SelYui marked this pull request as ready for review August 11, 2025 09:39

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Add support for regular expressions in `$app` modifier #714

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SelYui commented Jun 26, 2025

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slvvko Aug 13, 2025 •

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	The modifier is a list of one or more expressions separated by the `\|` symbol, each of which is matched against a application in a particular way depending on its type (see below).
	The modifier is a list of one or more expressions, each of which is matched against an application in a particular way depending on its type. These expressions are separated by the `\|` symbol.

	- `regular_app` — a regular application name (`example.app`). Corresponds the specified application and its subapplications. It is matched lexicographically.
	- `regular_app` — a regular application name (`example.app`). It corresponds to the specified application and its subapplications and is matched lexicographically.

	- `regexp` — a regular expression, starts and ends with `/`. The pattern works the same way as in the basic URL rules, but the characters `/`, `$`, `,`, and `\|` must be escaped with `\`.
	- `regexp` — a regular expression that starts and ends with `/`. It works the same way as the basic URL rules, but the characters `/`, `$`, `,`, and `\|` must be escaped with `\`.

	You can use wildcards in the $app modifier:
	You can use wildcards in the `$app` modifier:


		The `$app` modifier supports combining all three types of entries — plain names, wildcards, and regular expressions — within the same rule, but it does not allow combining negated and non-negated expressions together.

		- `\|\|example.com^$app=org.example.app\|org.example.\|/org\.example\.[a-z]+/` — applies to `org.example.app`, all matching `org.example.` and all matching `org.example.[a-z]+` apps.

	Use a regular expression instead: `$app=/com\..*\.music/`
	Use a regular expression instead: `$app=/com\..*\.music/`.

Add support for regular expressions in $app modifier #714

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Add support for regular expressions in `$app` modifier #714

Add support for regular expressions in `$app` modifier #714

slvvko Aug 13, 2025 •

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