Extracting text after specific word using regex in Zapier

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1

I’m having trouble with a regex pattern in Zapier. I want to get the text that comes after a certain word in an email from Gmail. Here’s what I’m trying:

(?<=Lic:        )[^.\s]*

This works fine when I test it on regex101.com, but Zapier doesn’t seem to recognize it. I’ve tried adjusting the pattern, but nothing seems to work. Has anyone successfully used regex in Zapier to extract text after a specific word? Any tips or alternatives would be really helpful. I’m not sure if Zapier handles lookbehinds differently or if there’s something else I’m missing. Thanks for any advice!

2

Based on my experience with Zapier’s regex limitations, I’ve found that relying on lookbehinds can often lead to issues. Instead, using a capturing group usually yields more consistent results. For example, you could adjust your regex to something like:

Lic:\s*([^.\s]+)

This pattern captures the text following ‘Lic:’ by matching any non-space character until a period or whitespace is encountered. In practice, this method has provided reliable outputs without the complications introduced by lookbehinds. If challenges persist, consider incorporating a Code step with JavaScript for more robust string handling.

3

zapier can be finicky w/ regex sometimes. have u tried using the ‘Extract Pattern’ action instead? it’s easier than writing regex. just put ‘Lic:’ as the ‘Find Text’ and leave ‘End Text’ blank. works like a charm for me usally!

4

I’ve run into similar issues with Zapier’s regex handling. One workaround that’s worked well for me is using a combination of the ‘Formatter’ utility and simple string manipulation.

First, use the ‘Text’ action in Formatter to split your email content at ‘Lic:’. Then, grab the second part of that split (index 1). Finally, use another Text action to trim any leading/trailing whitespace.

This method avoids regex entirely and has been pretty reliable in my projects. It’s not as elegant as a single regex, but it gets the job done without the headaches. Just remember to handle potential edge cases, like if ‘Lic:’ appears multiple times or not at all in your emails.