# Path parameters delimiters?

**URL:** <https://community.postman.com/t/path-parameters-delimiters/12266>\
**Category:** Help Hub\
**Created:** [April 28, 2020, 4:27pm UTC](https://community.postman.com/t/path-parameters-delimiters/12266 "2020-04-28T16:27:04Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![beatkyo](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/getpostman/user_avatar/community.postman.com/beatkyo/32/4332_2.png) [@beatkyo](https://community.postman.com/u/beatkyo)\
**Post date:** [April 28, 2020, 4:27pm UTC](https://community.postman.com/t/path-parameters-delimiters/12266/1 "2020-04-28T16:27:04Z")

</div>

Hello,

I have an edgy case with path parameters in url. Here is the kind of url we use in our API:  
`http://localhost/cars/42:doSomeNonRestThing`

The ‘:’ character is used as a separator. Everything after it is used to name a custom method which does not follow REST principles.

The problem is with an URL like the one above in postman we end up with:  
`http://localhost/cars/:car_id:doSomeNonRestThing`  
where `car_id` is a path parameter.

I know this probably pushes the parser to its limit but does anybody have a solution to keep using path parameters with this kind of url ? I was thinking of delimiters like `{car_id}` which is something used in spring for example.

Thank you.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![logic](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/getpostman/user_avatar/community.postman.com/logic/32/5729_2.png) [@logic](https://community.postman.com/u/logic)\
**Post date:** [September 28, 2020, 8:07pm UTC](https://community.postman.com/t/path-parameters-delimiters/12266/2 "2020-09-28T20:07:19Z")

</div>

I too have a situation where delimiters for path parameters/variables are needed. I have a URL where the ID value is a compound value with two subfields separated by hyphens. But, if I type in `:ClientID-:Environment` in the URL, then the Path Variables section shows a single variable named “ClientID-:Environment”. Is there a way to do this?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![michal.robaszewski.j](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/getpostman/user_avatar/community.postman.com/michal.robaszewski.j/32/5378_2.png) [@michal.robaszewski.j](https://community.postman.com/u/michal.robaszewski.j)\
**Post date:** [October 7, 2020, 3:57pm UTC](https://community.postman.com/t/path-parameters-delimiters/12266/3 "2020-10-07T15:57:02Z")

</div>

I think you hit the parser limit 🕶. I Check a few possibilities but cannot find any escape characters to do what you need.

If `:` is required by framework, and is as a valid part of path I can suggest setting string with : in a variable, inside pre-req script and us it later as part of URL.

**“pre-req”**

```auto
pm.globals.set("The_Complex_Path", ":car_id:doSomeNonRestThing");

```

URL:

> [@beatkyo](#):
>
> [http://localhost/cars/{{The\_Complex\_Path}](http://localhost/cars/%7B%7BThe_Complex_Path%7D)}