diff --git a/bots.d/bad-referrer-words.conf b/bots.d/bad-referrer-words.conf
index d9145ab98..faba0c1e5 100644
--- a/bots.d/bad-referrer-words.conf
+++ b/bots.d/bad-referrer-words.conf
@@ -27,14 +27,14 @@
 	"~*amateurxpass"		1;
 	"~*bigblackbooty"		1;
 	"~*blacktits"		1;
-	"~*cookie-law-enforcement"		1;
-	"~*free-share-buttons"		1;
-	"~*free-social-buttons"		1;
-	"~*fuck-paid-share-buttons"		1;
+	"~*cookie\-law\-enforcement"		1;
+	"~*free\-share\-buttons"		1;
+	"~*free\-social\-buttons"		1;
+	"~*fuck\-paid\-share\-buttons"		1;
 	"~*ilovevitaly"		1;
-	"~*law-enforcement-bot"		1;
-	"~*law-enforcement-check"		1;
-	"~*share-buttons-for-free"		1;
+	"~*law\-enforcement\-bot"		1;
+	"~*law\-enforcement\-check"		1;
+	"~*share\-buttons\-for\-free"		1;
 	"~*webfuck"		1;
 	"~*xxxrus"		1;
 	"~*zeroredirect"		1;
diff --git a/bots.d/blacklist-user-agents.conf b/bots.d/blacklist-user-agents.conf
index d2adfcfd3..065a723ec 100644
--- a/bots.d/blacklist-user-agents.conf
+++ b/bots.d/blacklist-user-agents.conf
@@ -12,5 +12,8 @@
 # first and takes precedence over anything below it. This now allows even finer control over the 
 # bad bot blocker. Enjoy !!!
 
-	"~*someverybaduseragentname1"		3;
-	"~*someverybaduseragentname2"		3;    
\ No newline at end of file
+# Make sure any words that contain special characters are escaped as per the Regex examples below.
+
+	"~*someverybaduseragentname1"			3;
+	"~*someverybaduseragentname2"			3;    
+	"~*some\-very\-bad\-useragentname2"		3;    	
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/bots.d/custom-bad-referrers.conf b/bots.d/custom-bad-referrers.conf
index 28cf4ff25..75b78f0b6 100644
--- a/bots.d/custom-bad-referrers.conf
+++ b/bots.d/custom-bad-referrers.conf
@@ -4,7 +4,12 @@
 # This file must exist on your system or Nginx will fail a reload due to a missing file
 # Only add one entry per line
 
-	"~*someveryveryrandomwebsitenamethatdoesnotexist1.com"		1;
-	"~*someveryveryrandomwebsitenamethatdoesnotexist2.com"		1;
-	"~*someveryveryrandomwebsitenamethatdoesnotexist3.com" 		1;
-    
\ No newline at end of file
+# Make sure any domains have dots and special characters escaped as per the Regex examples below.
+# For example some-veryvery-randomwebsitename-thatdoesnotexist4.com should be entered as
+# some\-veryvery\-randomwebsitename\-thatdoesnotexist4\.com
+
+	"~*someveryveryrandomwebsitenamethatdoesnotexist1\.com"			1;
+	"~*someveryveryrandomwebsitenamethatdoesnotexist2\.com"			1;
+	"~*someveryveryrandomwebsitenamethatdoesnotexist3\.com" 		1;
+	"~*some\-veryvery\-randomweb\-sitenamethatdoesnotexist4\.com" 	1;
+	
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/bots.d/whitelist-domains.conf b/bots.d/whitelist-domains.conf
index 046b8dceb..e0a25ed8b 100644
--- a/bots.d/whitelist-domains.conf
+++ b/bots.d/whitelist-domains.conf
@@ -5,5 +5,9 @@
 # Automatic updates will never be able to remove this custom list of yours 
 # Add One Entry Per Line
 
-"~*myfirstowndomainname.com" 	0;
-"~*mysecondowndomainname.com"	0;
+# Make sure any domains have dots and special characters escaped as per the Regex examples below.
+# For example myfirstowndomainname.com should be entered as myfirstowndomainname\.com
+# and my-second-owndomainname.com should be entered as my\-second\-owndomainname\.com
+
+"~*myfirstowndomainname\.com" 			0;
+"~*my\-second\-owndomainname\.com"		0;