diff --git a/.github/scripts/discord-helpers.sh b/.github/scripts/discord-helpers.sh
index b0ad015d..dd323d30 100644
--- a/.github/scripts/discord-helpers.sh
+++ b/.github/scripts/discord-helpers.sh
@@ -2,8 +2,21 @@
 # Discord notification helper functions
 
 # Escape markdown special chars and @mentions for safe Discord display
-# Bracket expression: ] must be first, then other chars. In POSIX bracket expr, \ is literal.
-esc() { sed -e 's/[][\*_()~`>]/\\&/g' -e 's/@/@ /g'; }
+# Skips content inside <URL> wrappers to preserve URLs intact
+esc() {
+  awk '{
+    result = ""; in_url = 0; n = length($0)
+    for (i = 1; i <= n; i++) {
+      c = substr($0, i, 1)
+      if (c == "<" && substr($0, i, 8) ~ /^<https?:/) in_url = 1
+      if (in_url) { result = result c; if (c == ">") in_url = 0 }
+      else if (c == "@") result = result "@ "
+      else if (index("[]\\*_()~`", c) > 0) result = result "\\" c
+      else result = result c
+    }
+    print result
+  }'
+}
 
 # Truncate to $1 chars (or 80 if wall-of-text with <3 spaces)
 trunc() {
@@ -14,7 +27,7 @@ trunc() {
   printf '%s' "$txt"
 }
 
-# Remove partial URL at end of truncated text (partial URLs are useless)
+# Remove incomplete URL at end of truncated text (incomplete URLs are useless)
 strip_trailing_url() { sed -E 's~<?https?://[^[:space:]]*$~~'; }
 
 # Wrap URLs in <> to suppress Discord embeds (keeps links clickable)
diff --git a/.github/workflows/discord.yaml b/.github/workflows/discord.yaml
index fdab1d70..9d5c44e6 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/discord.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/discord.yaml
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ jobs:
           if [ -n "$PR_BODY" ] && [ ${#PR_BODY} -gt $MAX_BODY ]; then
             BODY=$(printf '%s' "$BODY" | strip_trailing_url)
           fi
-          BODY=$(printf '%s' "$BODY" | esc | wrap_urls)
+          BODY=$(printf '%s' "$BODY" | wrap_urls | esc)
           [ -n "$PR_BODY" ] && [ ${#PR_BODY} -gt $MAX_BODY ] && BODY="${BODY}..."
           [ -n "$BODY" ] && BODY=" · $BODY"
           USER=$(printf '%s' "$PR_USER" | esc)
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ jobs:
           if [ -n "$ISSUE_BODY" ] && [ ${#ISSUE_BODY} -gt $MAX_BODY ]; then
             BODY=$(printf '%s' "$BODY" | strip_trailing_url)
           fi
-          BODY=$(printf '%s' "$BODY" | esc | wrap_urls)
+          BODY=$(printf '%s' "$BODY" | wrap_urls | esc)
           [ -n "$ISSUE_BODY" ] && [ ${#ISSUE_BODY} -gt $MAX_BODY ] && BODY="${BODY}..."
           [ -n "$BODY" ] && BODY=" · $BODY"
           USER=$(printf '%s' "$USER" | esc)
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ jobs:
           if [ ${#COMMENT_BODY} -gt $MAX_BODY ]; then
             BODY=$(printf '%s' "$BODY" | strip_trailing_url)
           fi
-          BODY=$(printf '%s' "$BODY" | esc | wrap_urls)
+          BODY=$(printf '%s' "$BODY" | wrap_urls | esc)
           [ ${#COMMENT_BODY} -gt $MAX_BODY ] && BODY="${BODY}..."
           USER=$(printf '%s' "$COMMENT_USER" | esc)
 
@@ -178,7 +178,7 @@ jobs:
           if [ -n "$REVIEW_BODY" ] && [ ${#REVIEW_BODY} -gt $MAX_BODY ]; then
             BODY=$(printf '%s' "$BODY" | strip_trailing_url)
           fi
-          BODY=$(printf '%s' "$BODY" | esc | wrap_urls)
+          BODY=$(printf '%s' "$BODY" | wrap_urls | esc)
           [ -n "$REVIEW_BODY" ] && [ ${#REVIEW_BODY} -gt $MAX_BODY ] && BODY="${BODY}..."
           [ -n "$BODY" ] && BODY=": $BODY"
           USER=$(printf '%s' "$REVIEW_USER" | esc)
@@ -214,7 +214,7 @@ jobs:
           if [ ${#COMMENT_BODY} -gt $MAX_BODY ]; then
             BODY=$(printf '%s' "$BODY" | strip_trailing_url)
           fi
-          BODY=$(printf '%s' "$BODY" | esc | wrap_urls)
+          BODY=$(printf '%s' "$BODY" | wrap_urls | esc)
           [ ${#COMMENT_BODY} -gt $MAX_BODY ] && BODY="${BODY}..."
           USER=$(printf '%s' "$COMMENT_USER" | esc)
 
@@ -248,7 +248,7 @@ jobs:
           if [ -n "$RELEASE_BODY" ] && [ ${#RELEASE_BODY} -gt $MAX_BODY ]; then
             BODY=$(printf '%s' "$BODY" | strip_trailing_url)
           fi
-          BODY=$(printf '%s' "$BODY" | esc | wrap_urls)
+          BODY=$(printf '%s' "$BODY" | wrap_urls | esc)
           [ -n "$RELEASE_BODY" ] && [ ${#RELEASE_BODY} -gt $MAX_BODY ] && BODY="${BODY}..."
           [ -n "$BODY" ] && BODY=" · $BODY"
           TAG_ESC=$(printf '%s' "$TAG" | esc)
@@ -299,7 +299,7 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           set -o pipefail
           [ -z "$WEBHOOK" ] && exit 0
-          esc() { sed -e 's/[][\*_()~`>]/\\&/g' -e 's/@/@ /g'; }
+          esc() { sed -e 's/[][\*_()~`]/\\&/g' -e 's/@/@ /g'; }
           trunc() { tr '\n\r' '  ' | cut -c1-"$1"; }
 
           REF_TRUNC=$(printf '%s' "$REF" | trunc 100)