# parsing error: colons in a playbook key value pair

**URL:** <https://forum.ansible.com/t/parsing-error-colons-in-a-playbook-key-value-pair/12002>\
**Category:** Ansible Project\
**Created:** [October 20, 2012, 12:22am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/parsing-error-colons-in-a-playbook-key-value-pair/12002 "2012-10-20T00:22:42Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Jonathan1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f14d63/32.png) [@Jonathan1](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Jonathan1)\
**Post date:** [October 20, 2012, 12:22am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/parsing-error-colons-in-a-playbook-key-value-pair/12002/1 "2012-10-20T00:22:42Z")

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Having some trouble with having a colon as part of a playbook YAML key value pair using v0.7.1

playbook text:

---

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**Author:** ![Michael\_DeHaan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@Michael\_DeHaan](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Michael_DeHaan)\
**Post date:** [October 20, 2012, 12:32am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/parsing-error-colons-in-a-playbook-key-value-pair/12002/2 "2012-10-20T00:32:28Z")

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Yes, we're aware.

YAML is otherwise mostly wonderful, but if you have a colon, you have  
to quote the line.

Like so:

foo: "This line: has a colon, it it"

---

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**Author:** ![Rodney\_Quillo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7ba0ec/32.png) [@Rodney\_Quillo](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Rodney_Quillo)\
**Post date:** [October 20, 2012, 12:35am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/parsing-error-colons-in-a-playbook-key-value-pair/12002/3 "2012-10-20T00:35:11Z")

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Hi Jonathan,

This is the same problem we had last for lineinfile.  
The undocumented solution is to quote the entire line after action  
keyword and double quotes for the arguments.

ex. action: 'lineinfile ...'

Rodney

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**Author:** ![Brian\_Coca1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Brian\_Coca1](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Brian_Coca1)\
**Post date:** [October 20, 2012, 1:20am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/parsing-error-colons-in-a-playbook-key-value-pair/12002/4 "2012-10-20T01:20:18Z")

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This is clearly documented in YAML, we might want to note it and other YAML specifics in the playbook section.

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**Author:** ![Jonathan1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f14d63/32.png) [@Jonathan1](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Jonathan1)\
**Post date:** [October 20, 2012, 4:15am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/parsing-error-colons-in-a-playbook-key-value-pair/12002/5 "2012-10-20T04:15:08Z")

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Many thanks, gentleman. Duly noted.

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