Raised when PostgreSQL encounters an illegal backslash escape sequence in bytea or E'' string literals.
PostgreSQL error 2200D invalid_escape_octet occurs when the server sees a backslash escape that is not valid octal (\000-\377) or hex (\x00-\xFF). Replace or remove the bad escape, or enable standard_conforming_strings, to resolve the error.
PostgreSQL Error 2200D (invalid_escape_octet)
PostgreSQL raises the invalid_escape_octet exception when it meets a backslash escape sequence that cannot be decoded into a single byte. The engine stops parsing the literal and returns SQLSTATE 2200D to prevent corrupt data from entering or leaving the database.
The defect surfaces in bytea constants (E'\\xHH') or escape strings (E'...') that contain an out-of-range octal such as '\9' or malformed hex like '\xZZ'.
Correcting the escape or using standard-conforming strings removes the error.
An illegal octal escape like "E'\\400'" on a server compiled with bytea_output=hex will fail because octal 400 exceeds 0xFF.
Any digit outside 0-7 inside an octal escape also triggers the fault.
Malformed hexadecimal escapes such as "E'\\x1'" (odd number of hex digits) or "E'\\xGG'" (non-hex characters) cause the same exception during cast or assignment.
Client libraries that double-escape backslashes can accidentally produce bad sequences, especially when parameters are built manually instead of with bind variables.
First locate the failing literal by inspecting the statement text or enabling log_min_error_statement.
Search for backslashes followed by digits or x.
Replace invalid sequences with legal ones: use '\\xHH' for hex bytes or '\\OOO' for octal (00-377). Remove superfluous backslashes introduced by the application layer.
Set standard_conforming_strings = on to interpret backslashes as ordinary characters in regular strings, limiting escapes to bytea and E'' contexts only.
INSERT or UPDATE of binary data copied from other databases often ships with '\\x' escapes missing two hex digits.
Regenerate the literal using encode(bytea,'hex').
COPY ... FROM STDIN statements that paste Windows paths like 'C:\\temp\\file' into bytea columns fire the error. Change the column to text or double the backslashes correctly.
Dynamic SQL built in Python with "b'\\123'" concatenated into the query string may include unsupported escapes. Switch to parameterized queries with psycopg2 execute(..., [value]).
Always parameterize queries through your driver so PostgreSQL, not your code, serializes bytea values.
This prevents accidental escape mangling.
Enable standard_conforming_strings and keep it on in all environments to avoid mixed backslash rules between staging and production databases.
invalid_hex_literal: arises when casting text like 'ZZ' to bytea using decode(). Ensure only 0-9, A-F characters are present or pad properly.
invalid_escape_sequence: broader category covering bad escapes in ANY string literal. Fix by removing or correcting the escape or prefixing with E to use escape string syntax.
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Any digit 8 or 9 immediately after a backslash in an E'' string is outside the octal range and triggers invalid_escape_octet.
Octal escapes above \377 map to byte values larger than 255 and are rejected by PostgreSQL.
Hex escapes must start with \x followed by exactly two hexadecimal digits.
Missing or invalid digits cause the error.
Applications that pre-escape backslashes can produce sequences like \\x5c\x41 that PostgreSQL then parses incorrectly.
When the session toggles the setting mid-script, literals built for one mode may be parsed under another, corrupting escapes.
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Thrown when decode() or bytea input contains non-hex characters. Similar fix: ensure two valid hex digits per byte.
A general error for bad escapes in any string type. invalid_escape_octet is a specific subtype for bytea octets.
Appears when an escape removes the closing quote, often after a stray backslash. Doubling the backslash or adding E resolves it.
Notice, not error, when standard_conforming_strings is on and a backslash is used in a plain string.
Heed the notice to avoid future failures.
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No. Any E'' escape string cast or assigned to bytea can trigger it, even if the target column is text.
Legacy scripts that rely on backslash escapes in plain strings will fail. Test thoroughly before enabling it system-wide.
Not for bytea or E'' strings. You must supply valid \xHH or \OOO escapes or store data using parameterized queries.
Galaxy encourages bind variables and shows immediate linting on invalid literals, reducing the chance of shipping malformed escapes.
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