I’m working with address data that looks like this:
789_MainStreet_Blvd_TownName_22222
My goal is to extract just the first part and remove everything after the third underscore from the end. So I want to get rid of _Blvd_TownName_22222 and keep only 789_MainStreet.
My Code Attempt
result = "_".join(input['address_field'].split("_")[:-3])
Error Message
When I run this in Zapier’s Python code step, I get this error:
Bargle. We hit an error creating a run python. :-(
Error: 'unicode' object has no attribute 'copy'
What I’ve Tried
The logic seems correct when I test it locally, but something about Zapier’s environment is causing this unicode error. I’m not sure if it’s related to how Zapier handles the input data or if there’s something wrong with my string manipulation approach.
Has anyone encountered this type of unicode error in Zapier’s Python environment? What’s the best way to handle string splitting and joining in Zapier code steps?
Had this exact issue a few months back with CSV data in Zapier. The unicode copy error comes from Zapier’s internal data handling, not your splitting logic. What fixed it for me was encoding the string explicitly before manipulation: result = "_".join(input['address_field'].encode('utf-8').decode('utf-8').split("_")[:-3]). This forces proper string conversion in Zapier’s environment. You can also try string formatting instead of join operations - it’s more stable in their Python runtime. Zapier’s trying to copy a unicode object when you call split or join, so forcing the data type conversion upfront usually fixes it.
I hit the same problem when pulling data from external sources in Zapier. The unicode error happens because Zapier sends data as unicode objects instead of regular strings. Besides using str() conversion like mentioned above, I’d add error handling around the split operation too. Sometimes the input data isn’t what you expect - especially if the address comes from a form or API that occasionally sends empty values. Try adding a quick check like if input.get('address_field') before processing. Also, Zapier’s Python environment handles string encoding differently than your local setup, so testing with live data through Zapier’s interface catches issues that local testing misses.
weird, i’ve seen this in zapier before. try wrapping your input in str() first like str(input['address_field']) before doing the split. zapier’s python env can be finicky with data types from other apps