# Custom Formula Escape Character?

**URL:** <https://community.hubspot.com/t/custom-formula-escape-character/123627>\
**Category:** CMS Development\
**Tags:** enterprise\
**Created:** [January 9, 2025, 6:15pm UTC](https://community.hubspot.com/t/custom-formula-escape-character/123627 "2025-01-09T18:15:36Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![RTse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTse](https://community.hubspot.com/u/RTse)\
**Post date:** [January 9, 2025, 6:15pm UTC](https://community.hubspot.com/t/custom-formula-escape-character/123627/1 "2025-01-09T18:15:36Z")

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I’m creating a workflow with a custom formula data format step.

I’m using the formula right(cut(cut(cut(cut(cut(trim([enrolled\_[object.phone](http://object.phone/)]), “(”) “)”), “\*”), “#”), “+”), 12).

But I’m getting this issue:  
There was a problem with your formula. We were expecting a valid function or value expression but found " instead.

It seems like the “(” and “)” need an escape character.

How do I resolve this?

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**Author:** ![SteveHTM](https://d10pqhm3lwygmk.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/community.hubspot.com/stevehtm/32/22074_2.png) [@SteveHTM](https://community.hubspot.com/u/SteveHTM)\
**Post date:** [January 9, 2025, 7:39pm UTC](https://community.hubspot.com/t/custom-formula-escape-character/123627/2 "2025-01-09T19:39:27Z")

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@RTse - looks like you are simply missing a comma in the formula - after the “(”)

Hope that its simple!

Steve