# Can I use white space in the header of the rule format?
**URL:** https://forum.suricata.io/t/can-i-use-white-space-in-the-header-of-the-rule-format/1126
**Category:** Rules
**Created:** [February 19, 2021, 9:37am UTC](https://forum.suricata.io/t/can-i-use-white-space-in-the-header-of-the-rule-format/1126 "2021-02-19T09:37:06Z")
**Posts on this page:** 3
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@shyang](https://forum.suricata.io/u/shyang)
#### Post date: [February 19, 2021, 9:37am UTC](https://forum.suricata.io/t/can-i-use-white-space-in-the-header-of-the-rule-format/1126/1 "2021-02-19T09:37:06Z")
Can space be used in the header of the rule format?
According to suricata’s documentation ([6.1. Rules Format — Suricata 6.0.1 documentation](https://suricata.readthedocs.io/en/suricata-6.0.1/rules/intro.html)), each sample contains spaces.
For example, section 6.1.3
- ! 1.1.1.1
- ![1.1.1.1, 1.1.1.2]
If spaces are available for addressd and port, it is difficult to analyze(Split) headers using spaces.
I am wondering if it is officially possible to use space for Address and Port.
---
### Author:  [@syoc](https://forum.suricata.io/u/syoc)
#### Post date: [February 20, 2021, 10:10am UTC](https://forum.suricata.io/t/can-i-use-white-space-in-the-header-of-the-rule-format/1126/2 "2021-02-20T10:10:57Z")
Let’s just try it out. Sure enough, you can have space galore.
```auto
[root@3e6616847ed5 ~]# suricata -T -S test.rules
20/2/2021 -- 10:08:43 - - Running suricata under test mode
20/2/2021 -- 10:08:43 - - This is Suricata version 6.0.0 RELEASE running in SYSTEM mode
20/2/2021 -- 10:08:43 - - Configuration provided was successfully loaded. Exiting.
[root@3e6616847ed5 ~]# cat test.rules
alert ip any any -> [any, ! 8.8.8.8] any (msg:"asd"; sid:1;)
```
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### Author:  [@shyang](https://forum.suricata.io/u/shyang)
#### Post date: [February 22, 2021, 2:13am UTC](https://forum.suricata.io/t/can-i-use-white-space-in-the-header-of-the-rule-format/1126/3 "2021-02-22T02:13:52Z")
Thanks for your detailed answer.