[$125] Rules - "workspace rules" link shows html tags when copied from applied rule system message

[jponikarchuk]

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Version Number: 9.3.20-5
Reproducible in staging?: Yes
Reproducible in production?: Yes
If this was caught during regression testing, add the test name, ID and link from BrowserStack: #80853
Email or phone of affected tester (no customers): sdjoisjndoisnjodsoijo@gmail.com
Issue reported by: Applause Internal Team
Bug source: Exploratory - Significant User Experience Deterioration
Device used: Mac 26.2 / Chrome
App Component: Money Requests

Action Performed:

Precondition:

• Rules are enabled.

1. Go to staging.new.expensify.com
2. Go to workspace settings > Rules.
3. Click Add merchant rule.
4. Create a rule which applies when Apple is merchant, Merchant will update to Banana.
5. Go to workspace chat.
6. Create an expense with Apple as merchant.
7. Open the expense report.
8. Right click on "set the merchant to..." system message > Copy to clipboard.
9. Paste the content.

Expected Result:

"workspace rules" link will not show html tags.

Actual Result:

"workspace rules" link shows html tags when copied from applied rule system message.

Workaround:

Unknown

Platforms:

• Android: App
• Android: mWeb Chrome
• iOS: App
• iOS: mWeb Safari
• iOS: mWeb Chrome
• Windows: Chrome
• MacOS: Chrome / Safari

Screenshots/Videos

1.mp4

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Issue Owner

Current Issue Owner: @eVoloshchak

Upwork Automation - Do Not Edit

• Upwork Job URL: https://www.upwork.com/jobs/~022033944059526830680
• Upwork Job ID: 2033944059526830680
• Last Price Increase: 2026-03-17

[etCoderDysto]

Proposal

Please re-state the problem that we are trying to solve in this issue.

"workspace rules" link shows html tags when copied from applied rule system message

What is the root cause of that problem?

iou.policyRulesModifiedFields.format key wraps the link in anchor tag

App/src/libs/ModifiedExpenseMessage.ts

Line 240 in 4d0f402

return translate('iou.policyRulesModifiedFields.format', formatList(fragments), route);

But when we copy the html we are using Clipboard.setString. And Clipboard.setString, doesn't convert html content to markdown.

App/src/pages/inbox/report/ContextMenu/ContextMenuActions.tsx

Lines 779 to 789 in e01e89a

	} else if (isModifiedExpenseAction(reportAction)) {
	const modifyExpenseMessage = getForReportActionTemp({
	translate,
	reportAction,
	policy,
	movedFromReport,
	movedToReport,
	policyTags,
	currentUserLogin: currentUserPersonalDetails?.email ?? '',
	});
	Clipboard.setString(modifyExpenseMessage);

What changes do you think we should make in order to solve the problem?

We should use setClipboardMessage to copy the message to clipboard as it converts html to markdonw

setClipboardMessage(modifyExpenseMessage);

What alternative solutions did you explore? (Optional)

Reminder: Please use plain English, be brief and avoid jargon. Feel free to use images, charts or pseudo-code if necessary. Do not post large multi-line diffs or write walls of text. Do not create PRs unless you have been hired for this job.

[annaweber830]

Proposal

Please re-state the problem that we are trying to solve in this issue.

When users copy the applied merchant-rule system message from a modified expense action, the pasted text includes raw HTML tags for the "workspace rules" link instead of clean readable text.

What is the root cause of that problem?

The modified-expense copy branch writes the message to clipboard with Clipboard.setString() directly, even though the message can contain HTML.

App/src/pages/inbox/report/ContextMenu/ContextMenuActions.tsx

Lines 779 to 789 in d3c00a5

	} else if (isModifiedExpenseAction(reportAction)) {
	const modifyExpenseMessage = getForReportActionTemp({
	translate,
	reportAction,
	policy,
	movedFromReport,
	movedToReport,
	policyTags,
	currentUserLogin: currentUserPersonalDetails?.email ?? '',
	});
	Clipboard.setString(modifyExpenseMessage);

} else if (isModifiedExpenseAction(reportAction)) {
    const modifyExpenseMessage = getForReportActionTemp({
        translate,
        reportAction,
        policy,
        movedFromReport,
        movedToReport,
        policyTags,
        currentUserLogin: currentUserPersonalDetails?.email ?? '',
    });
    Clipboard.setString(modifyExpenseMessage);
}

That message can include an anchor tag by design (via <a href="...">workspace rules</a>), so copying it as plain string preserves HTML markup. This causes pasted content to show raw <a ...> tags because no HTML-to-markdown conversion is applied in this branch.

App/src/languages/en.ts

Lines 1553 to 1558 in d3c00a5

	common: (key: keyof PolicyRulesModifiedFields, value: string, isFirst: boolean) => {
	const field = translations.common[key].toLowerCase();
	return isFirst ? `set the ${field} to "${value}"` : `${field} to "${value}"`;
	},
	format: (fragments: string, route: string) => `${fragments} via <a href="${route}">workspace rules</a>`,
	},

common: (key: keyof PolicyRulesModifiedFields, value: string, isFirst: boolean) => {
    const field = translations.common[key].toLowerCase();
    return isFirst ? `set the ${field} to "${value}"` : `${field} to "${value}"`;
},
format: (fragments: string, route: string) => `${fragments} via <a href="${route}">workspace rules</a>`,

What changes do you think we should make in order to solve the problem?

Use setClipboardMessage(modifyExpenseMessage) in the modified-expense branch so HTML messages are converted to markdown/plain text consistently with the rest of the context menu copy handlers.

App/src/pages/inbox/report/ContextMenu/ContextMenuActions.tsx

Lines 779 to 789 in d3c00a5

	} else if (isModifiedExpenseAction(reportAction)) {
	const modifyExpenseMessage = getForReportActionTemp({
	translate,
	reportAction,
	policy,
	movedFromReport,
	movedToReport,
	policyTags,
	currentUserLogin: currentUserPersonalDetails?.email ?? '',
	});
	Clipboard.setString(modifyExpenseMessage);

Current code:

} else if (isModifiedExpenseAction(reportAction)) {
    const modifyExpenseMessage = getForReportActionTemp({
        translate,
        reportAction,
        policy,
        movedFromReport,
        movedToReport,
        policyTags,
        currentUserLogin: currentUserPersonalDetails?.email ?? '',
    });
    Clipboard.setString(modifyExpenseMessage);
}

Updated code:

} else if (isModifiedExpenseAction(reportAction)) {
    const modifyExpenseMessage = getForReportActionTemp({
        translate,
        reportAction,
        policy,
        movedFromReport,
        movedToReport,
        policyTags,
        currentUserLogin: currentUserPersonalDetails?.email ?? '',
    });
    setClipboardMessage(modifyExpenseMessage);
}

This keeps behavior aligned with other HTML-capable report actions already using setClipboardMessage(), and ensures plain-text paste does not expose raw HTML tags.

What alternative solutions did you explore? (Optional)

1. Add a local HTML check (displayMessage === Parser.htmlToText(displayMessage)) before deciding clipboard method in this branch.
2. Rejected because setClipboardMessage() already centralizes the conversion logic and keeps copy handling consistent with similar branches.

[melvin-bot]

Huh... This is 4 days overdue. Who can take care of this?

[melvin-bot]

This issue has not been updated in over 14 days. eroding to Weekly issue.