diff --git a/src/config/config.c b/src/config/config.c
index 83747c031..a0452c57d 100644
--- a/src/config/config.c
+++ b/src/config/config.c
@@ -956,14 +956,14 @@ void initConfig(struct config *conf)
 	conf->webserver.api.app_pwhash.d.s = (char*)"";
 
 	conf->webserver.api.excludeClients.k = "webserver.api.excludeClients";
-	conf->webserver.api.excludeClients.h = "Array of clients to be excluded from certain API responses (regex):\n - Query Log (/api/queries)\n - Top Clients (/api/stats/top_clients)\n Note that backslashes \"\\\" need to be escaped, i.e. \"\\\\\" in this setting\n Example: [ \"(^|\\\\.)\\\\.google\\\\.de$\", \"\\\\.pi-hole\\\\.net$\" ]\n\n Example: [ \"192.168.2.56\", \"fe80::341\", \"localhost\" ]";
-	conf->webserver.api.excludeClients.a = cJSON_CreateStringReference("array of IP addresses and/or hostnames");
+	conf->webserver.api.excludeClients.h = "Array of clients to be excluded from certain API responses (regex):\n - Query Log (/api/queries)\n - Top Clients (/api/stats/top_clients)\n This setting accepts both IP addresses (IPv4 and IPv6) as well as hostnames.\n Note that backslashes \"\\\" need to be escaped, i.e. \"\\\\\" in this setting\n\n Example: [ \"^192\\\\.168\\\\.2\\\\.56$\", \"^fe80::341:[0-9a-f]*$\", \"^localhost$\" ]";
+	conf->webserver.api.excludeClients.a = cJSON_CreateStringReference("array of regular expressions describing clients");
 	conf->webserver.api.excludeClients.t = CONF_JSON_STRING_ARRAY;
 	conf->webserver.api.excludeClients.d.json = cJSON_CreateArray();
 
 	conf->webserver.api.excludeDomains.k = "webserver.api.excludeDomains";
-	conf->webserver.api.excludeDomains.h = "Array of domains to be excluded from certain API responses (regex):\n - Query Log (/api/queries)\n - Top Clients (/api/stats/top_domains)\n Note that backslashes \"\\\" need to be escaped, i.e. \"\\\\\" in this setting\n Example: [ \"(^|\\\\.)\\\\.google\\\\.de$\", \"\\\\.pi-hole\\\\.net$\" ]\n\n Example: [ \"google.de\", \"pi-hole.net\" ]";
-	conf->webserver.api.excludeDomains.a = cJSON_CreateStringReference("array of domains");
+	conf->webserver.api.excludeDomains.h = "Array of domains to be excluded from certain API responses (regex):\n - Query Log (/api/queries)\n - Top Clients (/api/stats/top_domains)\n Note that backslashes \"\\\" need to be escaped, i.e. \"\\\\\" in this setting\n\n Example: [ \"(^|\\\\.)\\\\.google\\\\.de$\", \"\\\\.pi-hole\\\\.net$\" ]";
+	conf->webserver.api.excludeDomains.a = cJSON_CreateStringReference("array of regular expressions describing domains");
 	conf->webserver.api.excludeDomains.t = CONF_JSON_STRING_ARRAY;
 	conf->webserver.api.excludeDomains.d.json = cJSON_CreateArray();
 
diff --git a/test/pihole.toml b/test/pihole.toml
index 2a595d11e..25793c943 100644
--- a/test/pihole.toml
+++ b/test/pihole.toml
@@ -673,24 +673,29 @@
     #     <valid Pi-hole password hash>
     app_pwhash = ""
 
-    # Array of clients to be excluded from certain API responses:
+    # Array of clients to be excluded from certain API responses (regex):
     # - Query Log (/api/queries)
     # - Top Clients (/api/stats/top_clients)
-    # Example: [ "192.168.2.56", "fe80::341", "localhost" ]
+    # This setting accepts both IP addresses (IPv4 and IPv6) as well as hostnames.
+    # Note that backslashes "\" need to be escaped, i.e. "\\" in this setting
+    #
+    # Example: [ "^192\\.168\\.2\\.56$", "^fe80::341:[0-9a-f]*$", "^localhost$" ]
     #
     # Possible values are:
-    #     array of IP addresses and/or hostnames
+    #     array of regular expressions describing clients
     excludeClients = [
-      "1.2.3.4"
+      "^1\\.2\\.3\\.4$"
     ] ### CHANGED, default = []
 
-    # Array of domains to be excluded from certain API responses:
+    # Array of domains to be excluded from certain API responses (regex):
     # - Query Log (/api/queries)
     # - Top Clients (/api/stats/top_domains)
-    # Example: [ "google.de", "pi-hole.net" ]
+    # Note that backslashes "\" need to be escaped, i.e. "\\" in this setting
+    #
+    # Example: [ "(^|\\.)\\.google\\.de$", "\\.pi-hole\\.net$" ]
     #
     # Possible values are:
-    #     array of domains
+    #     array of regular expressions describing domains
     excludeDomains = []
 
     # How much history should be imported from the database [seconds]? (max 24*60*60 =