Thanks for sharing the details. I don’t know the full context, but will try to help where I think I can:
The error you're seeing —
Could not parse XML input: not well-formed (invalid token) —
typically happens when non-standard or special characters (like †or “) are copied into a field and passed through a Pipeline step that tries to handle or convert it as XML.
These characters often appear when text is copied from a rich-text source like Microsoft Word, PDFs, or emails — and they don’t translate cleanly to plain text or XML.
✅ How to Prevent This:
- Strip Non-UTF-8 Characters Before Sending
- Pipelines doesn’t currently auto-sanitize text, so if you're sending field data into an API call, XML body, or webhook, try adding a transform step to clean it.
- You can use a “Text Replace” step or a Code step (if using a webhook) to strip or replace problematic characters.
- Use a Text Cleanup Formula in Quickbase (Optional)
If the field is being used in an automation regularly, consider creating a formula field that sanitizes the input:
NotLeft(RichTextToText([Multi-line Field]), X) // X being character count limit if needed
- You may also use nested Substitute() functions to replace known bad characters with cleaner equivalents.
- Educate Users or Use Input Rules
Since it’s a copy/paste issue:
- Consider adding helper text near the field like “Paste plain text only (use Ctrl+Shift+V)”.
- Use a form rule or text instruction field to warn about pasting from formatted documents.
Let us know if you've already done these steps and what the results are. If you need further clarification, you can put in a support ticket for the technical support team to follow up directly with you. Here's how to do this: https://helpv2.quickbase.com/hc/en-us/articles/4570259530644-Get-help-from-Quickbase-Technical-Support
