diff --git a/test/unit/test_is_valid_string.py b/test/unit/test_is_valid_string.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..bb4d2afba
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/unit/test_is_valid_string.py
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+from tracardi.process_engine.action.v1.interest.utils import is_valid_string
+
+
+def test_alphanumeric():
+    assert is_valid_string("abc123") == True
+    assert is_valid_string("abc_123") == True
+    assert is_valid_string("abc-123") == True
+    assert is_valid_string("abc@123") == False
+    assert is_valid_string("___---") == False
+    assert is_valid_string("_") == False
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tracardi/process_engine/action/v1/interest/decrease/plugin.py b/tracardi/process_engine/action/v1/interest/decrease/plugin.py
index 96c4869ca..7a0d9cd9f 100644
--- a/tracardi/process_engine/action/v1/interest/decrease/plugin.py
+++ b/tracardi/process_engine/action/v1/interest/decrease/plugin.py
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 from tracardi.service.plugin.runner import ActionRunner
 from tracardi.service.plugin.domain.result import Result
 from ..config import Configuration
+from ..utils import is_valid_string
 
 
 def validate(config: dict):
@@ -28,7 +29,16 @@ async def run(self, payload: dict, in_edge=None) -> Result:
 
             return Result(value={"message": msg}, port="error")
 
-        self.profile.decrease_interest(self.config.interest, float(self.config.value))
+        dot = self._get_dot_accessor(payload)
+        interest_key = dot[self.config.interest]
+
+        if not is_valid_string(interest_key):
+            message = (f"Invalid interest name. Expected alpha-numeric string without spaces, got `{interest_key}`. "
+                       f"Interest name must be an alpha-numeric string without spaces. Hyphen and dashes are allowed.")
+            self.console.error(message)
+            return Result(value={"message": message}, port="error")
+
+        self.profile.decrease_interest(interest_key, float(self.config.value))
         self.profile.operation.update = True
 
         return Result(port="payload", value=payload)
@@ -54,7 +64,7 @@ def register() -> Plugin:
                             id="interest",
                             name="Interest name",
                             description="Please type interest name.",
-                            component=FormComponent(type="text", props={"label": "Interest name"})
+                            component=FormComponent(type="dotPath", props={"label": "Interest name"})
                         ),
                         FormField(
                             id="value",
@@ -65,9 +75,10 @@ def register() -> Plugin:
                     ]
                 )]
             ),
-            version='0.8.0',
+            version='0.8.2',
             license="MIT + CC",
-            author="Risto Kowaczewski"
+            author="Risto Kowaczewski",
+            manual="decrease_interest"
         ),
         metadata=MetaData(
             name='Decrease interest',
diff --git a/tracardi/process_engine/action/v1/interest/increase/plugin.py b/tracardi/process_engine/action/v1/interest/increase/plugin.py
index 231538c5e..98dd16b66 100644
--- a/tracardi/process_engine/action/v1/interest/increase/plugin.py
+++ b/tracardi/process_engine/action/v1/interest/increase/plugin.py
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 from tracardi.service.plugin.runner import ActionRunner
 from tracardi.service.plugin.domain.result import Result
 from ..config import Configuration
+from ..utils import is_valid_string
 
 
 def validate(config: dict):
@@ -28,7 +29,16 @@ async def run(self, payload: dict, in_edge=None) -> Result:
 
             return Result(value={"message": msg}, port="error")
 
-        self.profile.increase_interest(self.config.interest, float(self.config.value))
+        dot = self._get_dot_accessor(payload)
+        interest_key = dot[self.config.interest]
+
+        if not is_valid_string(interest_key):
+            message = (f"Invalid interest name. Expected alpha-numeric string without spaces, got `{interest_key}`. "
+                       f"Interest name must be an alpha-numeric string without spaces. Hyphen and dashes are allowed.")
+            self.console.error(message)
+            return Result(value={"message": message}, port="error")
+
+        self.profile.increase_interest(interest_key, float(self.config.value))
         self.profile.operation.update = True
 
         return Result(port="payload", value=payload)
@@ -54,7 +64,7 @@ def register() -> Plugin:
                             id="interest",
                             name="Interest name",
                             description="Please type interest name.",
-                            component=FormComponent(type="text", props={"label": "Interest name"})
+                            component=FormComponent(type="dotPath", props={"label": "Interest name"})
                         ),
                         FormField(
                             id="value",
@@ -65,9 +75,10 @@ def register() -> Plugin:
                     ]
                 )]
             ),
-            version='0.8.0',
+            version='0.8.2',
             license="MIT + CC",
-            author="Risto Kowaczewski"
+            author="Risto Kowaczewski",
+            manual="increase_interest"
         ),
         metadata=MetaData(
             name='Increase interest',
diff --git a/tracardi/process_engine/action/v1/interest/utils.py b/tracardi/process_engine/action/v1/interest/utils.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..22cba17b6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tracardi/process_engine/action/v1/interest/utils.py
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+def is_valid_string(variable):
+    """
+    Check if the variable is a string composed of alphanumeric characters, underscores (_), and hyphens (-),
+    contains no spaces, and has at least one alphanumeric character.
+
+    Args:
+    variable (str): The variable to be checked.
+
+    Returns:
+    bool: True if the variable meets the criteria, False otherwise.
+    """
+    if not isinstance(variable, str):
+        return False
+
+    # Check for at least one alphanumeric character
+    if not any(char.isalnum() for char in variable):
+        return False
+
+    # Checking if all characters are alphanumeric, underscore, or hyphen, and if there are no spaces
+    return all(char.isalnum() or char in ['_', '-'] for char in variable) and ' ' not in variable
+