What is URL encoding and why is it needed?

URL encoding (percent encoding) converts unsafe characters into a valid format for URLs. For example, a space becomes %20. It is necessary because URLs can only contain certain safe ASCII characters, and any others must be encoded to prevent interpretation errors.

Which characters need encoding in a URL?

Characters that must be encoded include: spaces (become %20), special characters like %, &, +, #, =, ?, @, $, {, }, [, ], |, \, ^, ~, [, ], `, and all non-ASCII characters like accents and Unicode characters.

What is the difference between encodeURI and encodeURIComponent?

encodeURI encodes the full URL but preserves characters with special meaning in URLs (:/?#[]@). encodeURIComponent encodes absolutely everything, including those characters. To encode query parameters always use encodeURIComponent, never encodeURI.

URL Encoder Online - Encode/decode URLs

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Why use the URL encoder?

The URL encoder lets you convert text to URL-safe format and vice versa. It's useful for:

Query Strings: Build URLs with parameters
REST APIs: Encode path parameters and query params
Forms: Prepare data for GET/POST submission
Debugging: Decode URLs to see actual parameters
Sanitization: Clean user input for URLs

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Why use the URL encoder?

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