About URL Encoding
URL encoding (also known as percent encoding) is essential for transmitting data safely over the internet. Special characters, spaces, and non-ASCII characters must be encoded to prevent broken links and security vulnerabilities.
Common Encoded Characters
| Character | Encoded | Usage |
|---|---|---|
| Space | %20 or + | URLs, query strings |
| & | %26 | Query parameter separator |
| = | %3D | Parameter value assignment |
| ? | %3F | Query string start |
| / | %2F | Path separator |
When to Use URL Encoding
- ✓ Query parameters with special characters
- ✓ Form data transmission
- ✓ API requests with URL parameters
- ✓ Search queries in URLs
- ✓ File names in URLs
Frequently Asked Questions
What is URL encoding?
URL encoding (percent encoding) converts special characters into a format safe for URLs. Each character is represented by %XX where XX is its hexadecimal ASCII code.
When should I use URL encoding?
Use URL encoding when passing data in URLs, especially query parameters. Always encode spaces, special characters (&, =, ?, #), and non-ASCII characters.
What's the difference between %20 and + for spaces?
Both represent spaces, but + is used in query strings while %20 is used in path components. Modern applications typically use %20 for consistency.