Final answer:
To pass special characters in Web API URLs, they must be URL encoded using functions like encodeURIComponent in JavaScript or Uri.EscapeDataString in C#. This prevents errors and ensures the API interprets the request correctly.
Step-by-step explanation:
To pass special characters in Web API URLs, they need to be URL encoded to ensure they are interpreted correctly by the web server. This process converts special characters into a format that can be transmitted over the internet without causing issues. For example, a space character is encoded as '%20' and an ampersand ('&') as '%26'. Encoding is essential because URLs have a specific syntax and reserved characters that have special meanings.
Most programming languages provide a method to do this. In JavaScript, for example, you can use encodeURIComponent function to encode parameters. Likewise, in C#, you may use Uri.EscapeDataString for the same purpose. Moreover, there are online tools available that can perform URL encoding.
By ensuring all special characters are correctly encoded, you can prevent errors in HTTP requests, thus enabling the Web API to interpret the request as intended. In summary, always encode special characters before appending them to a URL when making API calls.