URLkryptering

URLkryptering, often referred to as URL encryption or URL encoding, is a method used to transform specific characters within a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) into a format that can be safely transmitted over the internet. This process is necessary because URLs can only contain a limited set of characters, primarily alphanumeric characters and a few reserved symbols. When a URL needs to include characters outside this permissible set, such as spaces, ampersands, question marks, or characters from different languages, they are replaced with a percent sign (%) followed by their hexadecimal representation.

For instance, a space character is typically encoded as %20. This ensures that the URL remains parsable by web servers and browsers, preventing misinterpretation or data corruption. The process of converting characters to their encoded form is known as percent-encoding. Conversely, when a URL is received by a server or processed by a browser, the encoded characters are decoded back into their original form, restoring the URL to its readable state. URL encoding is a fundamental aspect of web communication, ensuring the integrity and successful delivery of web addresses and their associated data.