Auto-sanitize or anonymize public image filenames on upload | Community
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Submitted

Auto-sanitize or anonymize public image filenames on upload

Related products:Knowledge & Help Center
  • April 29, 2025
  • 0 replies
  • 28 views

Problem statement:

When uploading images to articles in Intercom, the original filename is exposed directly in the public URL (e.g., /images/client-name_invoice.png).

 

https://downloads.intercomcdn.eu/i/o/itah6lir/47298365/ba6a3a3434f9f289e5f0a483ee3f/[FILENAME].png

 

This creates a privacy risk, especially if authors accidentally upload files with confidential or identifiable information in the filename.

In fast-paced teams, it's unrealistic to expect every author to sanitize file names manually before uploading. Other platforms typically generate anonymized or UUID-based URLs to prevent this exposure.

 

User Story:

As a Help Center admin,
I want Intercom to automatically anonymize image URLs and not expose the original uploaded file names,
So that I can prevent leaking internal or customer-specific information through image links, even when authors forget to sanitize filenames.

 

Feature Request

Please automatically sanitize, anonymize, or hash uploaded filenames so that the public URL does not reflect the original file name. This could be a random string (e.g., image_abc123.png) or even a UUID.

 

Why This Matters

  • Avoids accidental exposure of confidential info (e.g., client names, internal systems)

  • Reduces risk of data leakage through file URLs

  • Prevents human error — filenames are often overlooked

  • Follows standard practices from other platforms that generate anonymized or randomized URLs

  • Reduces burden on authors to follow strict naming conventions

  • Aligns with best practices in content platforms that randomize media URLs (e.g., /assets/xyz123.png instead of /uploads/john_smith_invoice.png)