How to Urlencode a Querystring in Python?

URL encoding a query string consists of converting characters into a format that can be safely transmitted over the internet. This process replaces special characters with a '%' followed by their hexadecimal equivalent. In this article, we will explore three different approaches to urlencode a querystring in Python.

What is Urlencode in Python?

The urlencode is a function often used in web development and networking to encode a set of data into a format suitable for inclusion in a URL query string. This encoding ensures that special characters within the data do not interfere with the structure of the URL. For example, spaces are replaced with %20 or +, and special characters like &, =, ?, etc., are converted to their corresponding percent-encoded representations.

URLencode a Querystring in Python

Below are the possible approaches to urlencode a querystring in Python.

• Using urllib.parse.urlencode
• Using requests library
• Using urllib.parse.quote_plus for Custom Encoding

URLencode a Querystring Using urllib.parse.urlencode

In this example, we are using urllib.parse.urlencode from the urllib.parse module to URL-encode a dictionary. This method handles encoding spaces as plus signs and ensures the parameters are properly formatted.

import urllib.parse
data = {
    "site": "GeeksforGeeks",
    "topic": "Python URL encoding",
    "level": "Intermediate"
}
encoded_data = urllib.parse.urlencode(data)
print(encoded_data)

site=GeeksforGeeks&topic=Python+URL+encoding&level=Intermediate

URLencode a Querystring Using requests library

In this example, we are using the requests library's internal method _encode_params to URL-encode a dictionary. This method provides a convenient way to handle encoding when working with HTTP requests.

import requests
data = {
    "site": "GeeksforGeeks",
    "topic": "Python URL encoding",
    "level": "Intermediate"
}
encoded_data = requests.models.RequestEncodingMixin._encode_params(data)
print(encoded_data)

Output:

site=GeeksforGeeks&topic=Python+URL+encoding&level=Intermediate

URLencode a Querystring Using urllib.parse.quote_plus for Custom Encoding

In this example, we are manually encoding each key-value pair using urllib.parse.quote_plus for more granular control over the URL-encoding process. This method allows customization of how each part of the query string is encoded.

import urllib.parse
data = {
    "site": "GeeksforGeeks",
    "topic": "Python URL encoding",
    "level": "Intermediate"
}
encoded_data = '&'.join([f"{urllib.parse.quote_plus(key)}={urllib.parse.quote_plus(value)}" for key, value in data.items()])
print(encoded_data)

site=GeeksforGeeks&topic=Python+URL+encoding&level=Intermediate