URL Encode for Form Data — application/x-www-form-urlencoded
Quick Answer: HTML forms with method="POST" encode data as application/x-www-form-urlencoded by default. This format encodes spaces as + (not %20) and joins key-value pairs with &. Paste form values to see the encoded output.
FAQ
How is form encoding different from URL encoding?
Form encoding (x-www-form-urlencoded) uses + for spaces. Standard URL encoding (RFC 3986) uses %20. Both are valid in query strings; + is form-specific.
When should I use multipart/form-data instead?
Use multipart/form-data for file uploads or binary data. Use x-www-form-urlencoded for simple text fields. Most frameworks detect and handle both automatically.