Docs/APIs/ASCII85 Encoder

ASCII85 Encoder

Encode/decode ASCII85 (Base85) data

OperationalCredits 1 per callp50 201msData ConversionStar

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.

GEThttps://api.apiverve.com/v1/ascii85encoder
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.

401 is the only auth verdict

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.

ParameterTypeDescription
textRequiredstringText to encode
actionOptionalstringAction to perform
encodedecode
default encode
formatOptionalPremiumstringOutput format
standardbtoa
default 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.

Sample response
{
  "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.

FieldTypeExampleDescription
original_textstring"Hello World"The encoded text before decoding
encodedstring"87cURD]i,"Ebo7"The decoded text in original format
formatPremiumstring"standard"The decoding format used for conversion
original_lengthnumber11The character count of the encoded text
encoded_lengthnumber14The character count of the decoded text
compression_ratioPremiumstring"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.

StatusMeaningWhat to do
400Input was rejectedRead error; it names the parameter.
401Key missing or invalidCheck the header name and the key value.
403Key valid, but not permittedA key restriction or IP allow-list; see key scoping.
429Rate limited, or out of creditsRead 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.

Give it to an AI agentConnect over MCP and your agent calls it as a native tool — Claude, Cursor, ChatGPT.VerveKitReference →
Use it in Google Sheets or ExcelA =VERVE() formula fills a column — no script, no export, recalculates in place.VerveSheetsReference →

More in Data Conversion:

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