yaml
message: Hello worldNotes
Plain scalars are concise, but they can be misread when values look like booleans, dates, or special tokens.
YAML Scalars, Strings, and Multiline Blocks
Plain scalars, quoted strings, literal and folded blocks, and the quoting rules that prevent common YAML mistakes.
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Strings and quoting
How plain, single-quoted, and double-quoted strings behave in YAML.
Single-quoted string
Keep backslashes literal and avoid interpolation-like behavior.
yamlANYyamlstringsingle-quotes
yaml
path: 'C:\Users\jonathan
otes'Notes
Single quotes reduce escaping needs. To include a single quote, double it.
Double-quoted string
Use escapes like newline and tab in YAML strings.
yamlANYyamlstringdouble-quotesescapes
yaml
message: "Line 1
Line 2"Notes
Double quotes support common escape sequences and are useful for values needing explicit escaping.
yaml
body: |
Thanks for your patience.
Please find attached the executed agreement.Notes
Literal blocks preserve newlines and are ideal for emails, certificates, Markdown, or shell scripts.
Folded block scalar
Wrap multi-line text into a single logical paragraph with `>`.
yamlANYyamlmultilinefolded-block
yaml
summary: >
ExpressYou helps people communicate with
more clarity, confidence, and connection.Notes
Folded blocks convert line breaks into spaces, which is useful for longer prose values.
Scalar gotchas
Examples that prevent hard-to-debug YAML parsing surprises.
Quote ambiguous boolean-like words
Avoid implicit booleans by quoting risky strings.
yamlANYyamlbooleansquoting
yaml
answer: "yes"
feature_flag: trueNotes
In some parsers or older YAML variants, words like yes/no/on/off may be interpreted as booleans.
Quote date-like values
Prevent timestamps and date-like tokens from being auto-typed.
yamlANYyamldatesquoting
yaml
release: "2026-03-28"Notes
Quote values when you need them treated as strings instead of dates or timestamps.
bash
yq '.app.name' app.yamlNotes
Useful in scripts and CI jobs that need one config value.
bash
yq -i '.app.version = "1.2.0"' app.yamlNotes
A convenient way to bump versions or toggle config values automatically.
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YAML Anchors, Aliases, and Merge Keys
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