What is URL encoding
URL encoding (percent-encoding) converts special characters, spaces and accented letters into %XX sequences, so they can safely be used inside a URL. For example, a space becomes %20.
When to use it
Needed when building URLs with query parameters that contain spaces, accents or symbols like &, ?, # — without it, the URL can break or be misread by the browser or server.
Frequently asked questions
Why do I need to encode a URL?
Because some characters have special meaning in URLs (like &, ?, #, space) and need to be converted so they don't break the link.
Is this the same as Base64?
No — they're different encodings for different purposes. URL encoding is specific to web addresses.