How to fix ERROR: unterminated quoted string in PostgreSQL

What this error means

The "unterminated quoted string" error appears when PostgreSQL's SQL parser encounters a string literal that is missing its closing single quote ('). In PostgreSQL, all string literals must be enclosed in single quotes ('), and the closing quote must appear before the statement ends or before the next major SQL token. When the parser reaches the end of a line or statement delimiter (semicolon, parenthesis, or keyword) without finding a closing quote, it reports this error. This is different from runtime errors—it's a parse-time syntax error that prevents compilation of the query entirely. The error message typically includes the position where PostgreSQL expected to find the closing quote.

Typical symptoms

• Query execution fails immediately with parse-time syntax error
• Error message shows 'unterminated quoted string' at or near some position
• Multi-line queries fail when a string spans multiple lines without proper quoting
• Copy-pasting SQL from documents or PDFs causes quoting issues
• Inserting user data with quotes fails unless properly escaped
• Running SQL scripts with mixed quote styles causes errors

Common causes

1. Missing closing single quote for a string literal
2. Using double quotes instead of single quotes for string literals (double quotes are for identifiers only)
3. Unescaped single quotes within string content (should be doubled: '')
4. String content copied from external sources with smart quotes or Unicode variants
5. Mixing quote styles in the same query (single for strings, double for identifiers)
6. String literal spanning multiple lines in code without proper SQL continuation
7. Application code concatenating strings without proper quote handling

How to fix "ERROR: unterminated quoted string"

-- INCORRECT: Missing closing quote
SELECT * FROM users WHERE email = 'john@example.com;

-- Error: ERROR: unterminated quoted string at or near "'john"

-- INCORRECT: Double quotes for string literal (this is wrong)
SELECT * FROM users WHERE name = "John";

-- CORRECT: Single quotes for string literals
SELECT * FROM users WHERE name = 'John';

-- CORRECT: Double quotes for identifiers (column/table names)
SELECT "FirstName", "LastName" FROM users WHERE "Status" = 'active';

-- INCORRECT: Unescaped single quote causes unterminated string
INSERT INTO products (name) VALUES ('John's Book');
-- Error: ERROR: unterminated quoted string

-- CORRECT: Double the single quote to escape it
INSERT INTO products (name) VALUES ('John''s Book');

-- Also correct: Use escape syntax (if E prefix is used)
INSERT INTO products (name) VALUES (E'John\'s Book');

// Node.js with pg library - safe from quote issues
const result = await client.query(
  'INSERT INTO products (name) VALUES ($1)',
  ['John\'s Book']  // No need to double quotes; parameterization handles escaping
);

-- INCORRECT: Smart/curly quotes from copy-paste (not ASCII single quotes)
SELECT * FROM users WHERE name = 'John';
-- The quotes here are Unicode U+2018 and U+2019, not U+0027

-- CORRECT: Use ASCII single quotes (U+0027)
SELECT * FROM users WHERE name = 'John';

// BAD: String concatenation (vulnerable to quote issues and SQL injection)
const email = "john@example.com";
const query = "SELECT * FROM users WHERE email = '" + email + "'";

// GOOD: Parameterized query (safe)
const { Client } = require('pg');
const client = new Client();

const email = "john@example.com";
const result = await client.query(
  'SELECT * FROM users WHERE email = $1',
  [email]  // Parameters are handled safely
);

-- INCORRECT: String spans multiple lines without proper closing on first line
SELECT * FROM users WHERE description = 'This is a long description
that continues on the next line;

-- CORRECT: String properly closed on same logical line (or next quote found)
SELECT * FROM users WHERE description = 'This is a long description
that continues on the next line';

-- Also correct: Use || for string concatenation across lines
SELECT * FROM users WHERE description = 'This is a long description '
  || 'that continues on the next line';

// CORRECT: Multi-line SQL with proper quotes
const query = `
  SELECT * FROM users
  WHERE name = $1
    AND status = $2
`;

SELECT * FROM users WHERE name = 'John;  -- String highlighted in red (unclosed)

Advanced notes

-- Standard quoting requires escaping internal quotes
INSERT INTO docs (content) VALUES ('It\'s a long\'s story');

-- Dollar quotes avoid escaping issues
INSERT INTO docs (content) VALUES $$It's a long's story$$;

-- Named tags allow nesting
INSERT INTO docs (content) VALUES $tag$Content with $$ and quotes'$tag$;

-- Test just the WHERE clause
SELECT * FROM users WHERE email = 'test@example.com';

-- Then add complexity
SELECT id, name FROM users WHERE email = 'test@example.com' AND status = 'active';

EXPLAIN SELECT * FROM users WHERE name = 'John';

-- Check database encoding
SELECT datcollate FROM pg_database WHERE datname = current_database();

-- Check connection encoding
SHOW client_encoding;

-- Set correct encoding (usually UTF8)
SET client_encoding = 'UTF8';

Frequently asked questions

What does "42601" mean?

The "unterminated quoted string" error appears when PostgreSQL's SQL parser encounters a string literal that is missing its closing single quote ('). In PostgreSQL, all string literals must be enclosed in single quotes ('), and the closing quote must appear before the statement ends or before the next major SQL token. When the parser reaches the end of a line or statement delimiter (semicolon, parenthesis, or keyword) without finding a closing quote, it reports this error.

How do I fix "42601"?

The PostgreSQL 'unterminated quoted string' error occurs when a SQL query contains a string literal that is missing its closing single quote. This is a parse-time syntax error that prevents the query from executing. Common causes include missing closing quotes, unescaped quotes within strings, or improper string literal formatting.

What causes "42601"?

Missing closing single quote for a string literal Using double quotes instead of single quotes for string literals (double quotes are for identifiers only) Unescaped single quotes within string content (should be doubled: '')

Is the "42601" error serious?

It is a medium-severity error — more of a blocker than a risk. The steps above resolve it.

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Official resources & further reading

• 📚PostgreSQL Official Documentation
• 📖
  PostgreSQL Error Codes Reference(Official Docs)
• 📖
  PostgreSQL Lexical Structure and String Constants(Official Docs)
• 📖
  PostgreSQL: String Constants Documentation(Official Docs)
• pganalyze: Unterminated quoted string error guide
• 📝
  Common PostgreSQL Errors and Solutions