Overview
ASCII85 Encoder works by converting binary data to ASCII text using base-85 encoding, which represents 4 bytes with 5 ASCII characters. Includes special handling for zero bytes and format delimiters.
Endpoint
One host, one path per API. The block below shows this call in four languages; every one of them is the same HTTP request. Making requests covers the timeouts, retries and parameter rules that apply to all of them. The SDKs wrap the same call in a typed client.
curl "https://api.apiverve.com/v1/ascii85encoder?text=Hello%20World&action=encode&format=standard" \
-H "x-api-key: your_api_key_here"const res = await fetch('https://api.apiverve.com/v1/ascii85encoder?text=Hello%20World&action=encode&format=standard', {
headers: { 'x-api-key': 'your_api_key_here' },
});
if (!res.ok) throw new Error(`${res.status} ${await res.text()}`);
const { data } = await res.json();
console.log(data);import requests
res = requests.get(
"https://api.apiverve.com/v1/ascii85encoder?text=Hello%20World&action=encode&format=standard",
headers={"x-api-key": "your_api_key_here"},
timeout=15,
)
res.raise_for_status()
print(res.json()["data"])package main
import (
"fmt"
"io"
"net/http"
)
func main() {
req, _ := http.NewRequest("GET", "https://api.apiverve.com/v1/ascii85encoder?text=Hello%20World&action=encode&format=standard", nil)
req.Header.Set("x-api-key", "your_api_key_here")
res, err := http.DefaultClient.Do(req)
if err != nil {
panic(err)
}
defer res.Body.Close()
out, _ := io.ReadAll(res.Body)
fmt.Println(string(out))
}Replace your_api_key_here with the key from your dashboard. When the inputs arrive as a list rather than one at a time, batch requests run up to 200 of them through this same API in a single call.
Authentication
Send your key in the x-api-key header. That is the only auth step — there is no token exchange and no per-endpoint scope to configure. Authentication covers creating, rotating and revoking keys.
A 401 means the key is missing, invalid or expired. A 403 means the key is valid but not permitted here — blocked by a key restriction or an IP allow-list. Running out of credits is a 429.
Parameters
Sent in the query string. Premium parameters are accepted on every plan but only take effect on plans that include them.
| Parameter | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
textRequired | string | Text to encode |
actionOptional | string | Action to performencodedecodedefault encode |
formatOptionalPremium | string | Output formatstandardbtoadefault standard |
Response
Every API returns the same three top-level keys, so one response handler covers your whole integration: status, error and data. Only data changes shape. Response format covers the envelope, the other output formats and how premium fields are withheld.
{
"status": "ok",
"error": null,
"data": {
"original_text": "Hello World",
"encoded": "87cURD]i,\"Ebo7",
"format": "standard",
"original_length": 11,
"encoded_length": 14,
"compression_ratio": "127.27%"
}
}Response fields
Paths are relative to data. Premium fields are absent rather than zeroed on plans that do not include them, so check for presence instead of comparing to 0.
| Field | Type | Example | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
original_text | string | "Hello World" | The encoded text before decoding |
encoded | string | "87cURD]i,"Ebo7" | The decoded text in original format |
formatPremium | string | "standard" | The decoding format used for conversion |
original_length | number | 11 | The character count of the encoded text |
encoded_length | number | 14 | The character count of the decoded text |
compression_ratioPremium | string | "127.27%" | The size ratio of decoded to encoded text |
Errors
Read the HTTP status first, then error for the specific reason. The body names the parameter that has to change. Error handling covers the full status list and which of them are worth retrying.
| Status | Meaning | What to do |
|---|---|---|
400 | Input was rejected | Read error; it names the parameter. |
401 | Key missing or invalid | Check the header name and the key value. |
403 | Key valid, but not permitted | A key restriction or IP allow-list; see key scoping. |
429 | Rate limited, or out of credits | Read error to tell them apart; see rate limits. |
Use cases
- Data Encoding
- Encode binary data for text-based transmission with better compression than Base64
- PDF Processing
- Handle ASCII85-encoded data in PDF files and PostScript documents
- Data Serialization
- Serialize binary data for storage in text-based formats like JSON or XML
- Compression
- Achieve better compression ratios for binary data in text-only protocols
Other ways to use ASCII85 Encoder
Set up ASCII85 Encoder on APIVerve, or reach the same source a different way. Your APIVerve account and credits work on all of them — one key, one balance.
Related
More in Data Conversion: