What Is URL Encoding and Why It Matters
Percent-encoding turns unsafe characters into %XX sequences so URLs stay unambiguous. How it works, what the unreserved set is, and where it bites.
July 5, 2026 · 4 min read
Guides
Short, practical guides to the encodings behind the tools on this site: how the standards actually work, what goes wrong, and how to fix it.
Common URL Encoding Mistakes and How to Fix Them
Double encoding, encoding whole URLs, plus signs in paths, unencoded redirect parameters, and charset mojibake: the six mistakes behind most broken URLs.
July 5, 2026 · 5 min read
ASCII vs UTF-8 in URLs: Character Sets Explained
Why é can become %C3%A9 or %E9 depending on the character set, what mojibake like é really is, and the modern rule for encoding non-English text in URLs.
July 5, 2026 · 4 min read
How to Read a JWT (and Why You Should Not Trust It Blindly)
A JWT is readable by anyone who holds it. What the three parts contain, what the registered claims mean, and the difference between decoding and verifying.
July 5, 2026 · 4 min read
Base64 Explained: When to Use It and When Not To
Base64 is transport armor for bytes, not encryption. How the encoding works, why output grows by a third, and the cases where you should reach for something else.
July 5, 2026 · 4 min read