diff --git a/.github/workflows/check-links.yml b/.github/workflows/check-links.yml
index 59dcfbcecdf..9869bf84735 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/check-links.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/check-links.yml
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ jobs:
           --exclude "^https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/gmt/releases/tag/X.Y.Z$"
           --exclude "^https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/pygmt/edit"
           --exclude "^https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/pygmt/issues/new"
-          --exclude "^https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/pygmt/releases/tag/\{\{path}}"
+          --exclude '^https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/pygmt/releases/tag/\{\{path}}'
           --exclude "^https://www.pygmt.org/\{\{path}}"
           --exclude "^git"
           --exclude "^file://"