Overview
URL encoding matters whenever spaces, symbols, and special characters need to travel safely inside URLs, redirects, or request parameters.
Practical guide
URL Encoding for Query Strings Explained
Learn when URL encoding is needed, what common mistakes look like, and how to avoid double-encoding query values.
When to encode
- Query string values.
- Redirect targets.
- Values copied between web apps and API tools.
What goes wrong most often
- Encoding the same value twice.
- Assuming a whole URL and a single parameter should be treated the same way.
- Confusing URL encoding with Base64.