# Using quotation marks and literals with strings in the AWS CLI
There are primarily two ways single and double quotes are used in the AWS CLI.
+ [Using quotation marks around strings that contain white spaces](#cli-usage-parameters-quoting-strings-around)
+ [Using quotation marks inside strings](#cli-usage-parameters-quoting-strings-containing)
## Using quotation marks around strings that contain white spaces
Parameter names and their values are separated by spaces on the command line. If a string value contains an embedded space, then you must surround the entire string with quotation marks to prevent the AWS CLI from misinterpreting the space as a divider between the value and the next parameter name. Which type of quotation mark you use depends on the operating system you are running the AWS CLI on.
------
#### [ Linux and macOS ]
Use single quotation marks `' '`
```
$ aws ec2 create-key-pair --key-name 'my key pair'
```
For more information on using quotes, see the user documentation for your preferred shell.
------
#### [ PowerShell ]
**Single quotations (recommended)**
Single quotation marks `' '` are called `verbatim` strings. The string is passed to the command exactly as you type it, which means PowerShell variables will not pass through.
```
PS C:\> aws ec2 create-key-pair --key-name 'my key pair'
```
**Double quotations**
Double quotation marks `" "` are called `expandable` string. Variables can be passed in expandable strings.
```
PS C:\> aws ec2 create-key-pair --key-name "my key pair"
```
For more information on using quotes, see [About Quoting Rules](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/module/microsoft.powershell.core/about/about_quoting_rules?view=powershell-7) in the *Microsoft PowerShell Docs*.
------
#### [ Windows command prompt ]
Use double quotation marks `" "` .
```
C:\> aws ec2 create-key-pair --key-name "my key pair"
```
------
Optionally, you can separate the parameter name from the value with an equals sign `=` instead of a space. This is typically necessary only if the value of the parameter starts with a hyphen.
```
$ aws ec2 delete-key-pair --key-name=-mykey
```
## Using quotation marks inside strings
Strings might contain quotation marks, and your shell might require escaping quotations for them to work properly. One of the common parameter value types is a JSON string. This is complex since it includes spaces and double quotation marks `" "` around each element name and value in the JSON structure. The way you enter JSON-formatted parameters on the command line differs depending on your operating system.
For more advanced JSON usage in the command line, consider using a command line JSON processor, like `jq`, to create JSON strings. For more information on `jq`, see the [jq repository](http://stedolan.github.io/jq/) on *GitHub*.
------
#### [ Linux and macOS ]
For Linux and macOS to interpret strings literally use single quotation marks `' '` to enclose the JSON data structure, as in the following example. You do not need to escape double quotation marks embedded in the JSON string, as they are being treated literally. Since the JSON is enclosed in single quotation marks, any single quotation marks in the string will need to be escaped, this is usually accomplished using a backslash before the single quote `\'`.
```
$ aws ec2 run-instances \
--image-id ami-12345678 \
--block-device-mappings '[{"DeviceName":"/dev/sdb","Ebs":{"VolumeSize":20,"DeleteOnTermination":false,"VolumeType":"standard"}}]'
```
For more information on using quotes, see the user documentation for your preferred shell.
------
#### [ PowerShell ]
Use single quotation marks `' '` or double quotation marks `" "`.
**Single quotations (recommended)**
Single quotation marks `' '` are called `verbatim` strings. The string is passed to the command exactly as you type it, which means PowerShell variables will not pass through.
Since JSON data structures include double quotes, we suggest **single** quotation marks `' '` to enclose it. If you use **single** quotation marks, you do not need to escape **double** quotation marks embedded in the JSON string. However, you need to escape each **single** quotation mark with a backtick ``` within the JSON structure.
```
PS C:\> aws ec2 run-instances `
--image-id ami-12345678 `
--block-device-mappings '[{"DeviceName":"/dev/sdb","Ebs":{"VolumeSize":20,"DeleteOnTermination":false,"VolumeType":"standard"}}]'
```
**Double quotations**
Double quotation marks `" "` are called `expandable` strings. Variables can be passed in expandable strings.
If you use **double** quotation marks, you do not need to escape **single** quotation marks embedded in the JSON string. However, you need to escape each **double** quotation mark with a backtick ``` within the JSON structure, as with the following example.
```
PS C:\> aws ec2 run-instances `
--image-id ami-12345678 `
--block-device-mappings "[{`"DeviceName`":`"/dev/sdb`",`"Ebs`":{`"VolumeSize`":20,`"DeleteOnTermination`":false,`"VolumeType`":`"standard`"}}]"
```
For more information on using quotes, see [About Quoting Rules](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/module/microsoft.powershell.core/about/about_quoting_rules?view=powershell-7) in the *Microsoft PowerShell Docs*.
**Warning**
Before PowerShell sends a command to the AWS CLI, it determines if your command is interpreted using typical PowerShell or `CommandLineToArgvW` quoting rules. When PowerShell processes using `CommandLineToArgvW`, you must escape characters with a backslash `\`.
For more information on `CommandLineToArgvW` in PowerShell, see [What's up with the strange treatment of quotation marks and backslashes by CommandLineToArgvW](https://devblogs.microsoft.com/oldnewthing/20100917-00/?p=12833) in the *Microsoft DevBlogs*, [Everyone quotes command line arguments the wrong way](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/archive/blogs/twistylittlepassagesallalike/everyone-quotes-command-line-arguments-the-wrong-way) in the *Microsoft Docs Blog*, and [CommandLineToArgvW function](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/api/shellapi/nf-shellapi-commandlinetoargvw#remarks) in the *Microsoft Docs*.
**Single quotations**
Single quotation marks `' '` are called `verbatim` strings. The string is passed to the command exactly as you type it, which means PowerShell variables will not pass through. Escape characters with a backslash `\`.
```
PS C:\> aws ec2 run-instances `
--image-id ami-12345678 `
--block-device-mappings '[{\"DeviceName\":\"/dev/sdb\",\"Ebs\":{\"VolumeSize\":20,\"DeleteOnTermination\":false,\"VolumeType\":\"standard\"}}]'
```
**Double quotations**
Double quotation marks `" "` are called `expandable` strings. Variables can be passed in `expandable` strings. For double quoted strings you have to escape twice using *`\$1* for each quote instead of only using a backtick. The backtick escapes the backslash, and then the backslash is used as an escape character for the `CommandLineToArgvW` process.
```
PS C:\> aws ec2 run-instances `
--image-id ami-12345678 `
--block-device-mappings "[{`\"DeviceName`\":`\"/dev/sdb`\",`\"Ebs`\":{`\"VolumeSize`\":20,`\"DeleteOnTermination`\":false,`\"VolumeType`\":`\"standard`\"}}]"
```
**Blobs (recommended)**
To bypass PowerShell quoting rules for JSON data input, use Blobs to pass your JSON data directly to the AWS CLI. For more information on Blobs, see [Blob](cli-usage-parameters-types.md#parameter-type-blob).
------
#### [ Windows command prompt ]
The Windows command prompt requires double quotation marks `" "` to enclose the JSON data structure. Also, to prevent the command processor from misinterpreting the double quotation marks embedded in the JSON, you must also escape (precede with a backslash `\` character) each double quotation mark `"` within the JSON data structure itself, as in the following example.
```
C:\> aws ec2 run-instances ^
--image-id ami-12345678 ^
--block-device-mappings "[{\"DeviceName\":\"/dev/sdb\",\"Ebs\":{\"VolumeSize\":20,\"DeleteOnTermination\":false,\"VolumeType\":\"standard\"}}]"
```
Only the outermost double quotation marks are not escaped.
------