YAML Scanner Error: Invalid YAML

Why This Happens

YAML is indentation-sensitive with strict rules. Tabs are not allowed, only spaces. Colons in values must be quoted, and special characters have YAML meaning.

The Problem

import yaml
raw = 'password: p@ss:word'
data = yaml.safe_load(raw)

The Fix

import yaml
raw = 'password: "p@ss:word"'
data = yaml.safe_load(raw)

Step-by-Step Fix

1. 1

   Use spaces not tabs

   Replace all tabs with spaces.

2. 2

   Quote special values

   Wrap values with : @ * # in quotes.

3. 3

   Validate YAML

   Use yamllint to find syntax errors.