---
c: Copyright (C) Daniel Stenberg, <daniel@haxx.se>, et al.
SPDX-License-Identifier: curl
Title: curl_easy_escape
Section: 3
Source: libcurl
See-also:
  - curl_easy_unescape (3)
  - curl_url_set (3)
  - curl_url_get (3)
Protocol:
  - All
Added-in: 7.15.4
---

# NAME

curl_easy_escape - URL encode a string

# SYNOPSIS

~~~c
#include <curl/curl.h>

char *curl_easy_escape(CURL *curl, const char *string, int length);
~~~

# DESCRIPTION

This function converts the given input *string* to a URL encoded string and
returns that as a new allocated string. All input characters that are not a-z,
A-Z, 0-9, '-', '.', '_' or '~' are converted to their "URL escaped" version
(**%NN** where **NN** is a two-digit hexadecimal number). Although not
constrained by its type, the returned string may not be altered.

If *length* is set to 0 (zero), curl_easy_escape(3) uses strlen() on the input
*string* to find out the size. This function does not accept input strings
longer than **CURL_MAX_INPUT_LENGTH** (8 MB).

You must curl_free(3) the returned string when you are done with it.

# ENCODING

libcurl is typically not aware of, nor does it care about, character
encodings. curl_easy_escape(3) encodes the data byte-by-byte into the
URL encoded version without knowledge or care for what particular character
encoding the application or the receiving server may assume that the data
uses.

The caller of curl_easy_escape(3) must make sure that the data passed in
to the function is encoded correctly.

# URLs

URLs are by definition *URL encoded*. To create a proper URL from a set of
components that may not be URL encoded already, you cannot just URL encode the
entire URL string with curl_easy_escape(3), because it then also converts
colons, slashes and other symbols that you probably want untouched.

To create a proper URL from strings that are not already URL encoded, we
recommend using libcurl's URL API: set the pieces with curl_url_set(3) and get
the final correct URL with curl_url_get(3).

# %PROTOCOLS%

# EXAMPLE

~~~c
int main(void)
{
  CURL *curl = curl_easy_init();
  if(curl) {
    char *output = curl_easy_escape(curl, "data to convert", 15);
    if(output) {
      printf("Encoded: %s\n", output);
      curl_free(output);
    }
    curl_easy_cleanup(curl);
  }
}
~~~

# HISTORY

Since 7.82.0, the **curl** parameter is ignored. Prior to that there was
per-handle character conversion support for some old operating systems such as
TPF, but it was otherwise ignored.

# %AVAILABILITY%

# RETURN VALUE

A pointer to a null-terminated string or NULL if it failed.
