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Encoding

Insomnia automatically encodes special characters in request URLs. Auto-encoding can cause issues for some users who want to send non-encoded special characters.

Check the exact request URL sent using the Timeline tab.

The Timeline tab appears on the right-side panel after a request is sent. Upon sending a request, check the Timeline tab to see the encoded values sent.

Troubleshoot Special Character Issues

The following are options for troubleshooting special character issues.

  • Encode your own request URL using an encoding tool like urlencoder or W3Schools.
  • Disable automatic encoding completely (likely too disruptive of a change) In this scenario, there could be a Template Tag for encoding values explicitly
  • Add option on each query parameter to enable or disable encoding
  • Add global workspace-level setting to enable or disable encoding
  • Have a character allowlist for encoding
  • Use the Insomnia encoder plugin
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