python requests module url encode

Python Requests Module URL Encode

If you are working with APIs, you might come across URL encoding. URL encoding is the process of converting a string into a format that is safe to be used as a URL parameter. Python Requests module provides an easy way to encode your URLs.

Using the requests module's built-in function

The requests module provides a built-in function called quote to encode URLs. The quote function encodes the given string by replacing special characters with their corresponding percent-encoded values.


      import requests

      # URL that needs to be encoded
      url = "https://example.com/some path with spaces"

      # Encode the URL
      encoded_url = requests.utils.quote(url)

      print(encoded_url)
    

In the above code, we first import the requests module. We then define a URL that needs to be encoded. Next, we call the quote function of the requests.utils module to encode the URL. Finally, we print the encoded URL.

Using urllib.parse module's urlencode function

The urllib.parse module provides a function called urlencode to encode query strings. We can use this function to encode URLs as well.


      import urllib.parse

      # URL that needs to be encoded
      url = "https://example.com/some path with spaces"

      # Encode the URL
      encoded_url = urllib.parse.urlencode({"url": url})

      print(encoded_url.split("=")[1])
    

In the above code, we first import the urllib.parse module. We then define a URL that needs to be encoded. Next, we call the urlencode function of the urllib.parse module to encode the URL. Finally, we print the encoded URL.

Conclusion

Both the requests module and urllib.parse module provide an easy way to encode URLs in Python. The choice between the two depends on your use case and personal preference.