In Java, using HttpPost (apache commons HttpClient) when sending JSON POST - should I URL encode the body?

Question

I\'m sending a RESTful JSON POST request using Apache HttpClient (to a 3rd party API)

• Should I URL encode the JSON body?

• And if something i

Answer 1

The Content-Type in your http header should be application/json, so you oughtn't URL encode the body of the http request.

URL encoding is meant to prevent users from using characters that are special in representing URLs (such as '/').

You don't have to worry about links in the content being decoded either, unless you use a Content-Type in your http header that suggests that the server should decode the body, such as application/x-www-form-urlencoded