Issue
When using the PDF Filler module in PDF.co via Zapier, including a semicolon (;) inside the text causes the output to be cut off or incomplete in the generated PDF.
Example:
Input:
0;CustomerName;John Smith; Vice President
Output:
John Smith
(the text after the semicolon is missing)
Why This Happens
In the PDF Filler module, semicolons are used as parameter separators (pageNumber;fieldName;value). If a semicolon is inside the text, it’s mistakenly treated as a separator, splitting the input.
Solutions
1. Escape the semicolon using a backslash \;
If keeping semicolon ; as a separator, escape semicolons inside the text:
Correct input:
0;CustomerName;John Smith\; Vice President
Output:
nginxCopyEditJohn Smith; Vice President
2. Use a pipe | as the separator instead of a semicolon
Switching to | allows semicolons in text without escaping:
Correct input:
0|CustomerName|John Smith; Vice President|
Output:
John Smith; Vice President
Tips
This applies only to the PDF Filler module in Zapier.
If your text contains many semicolons, using
|as the separator is recommended.Always test the PDF output to confirm formatting.