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Global Accelerated Learning • Est. 1999
Glossary Term Output Encoding

Training Camp • Cybersecurity Glossary

What is Output Encoding?

Output encoding converts untrusted data into a safe form for its rendering context, serving as a primary defense against cross-site scripting XSS.

Glossary > Application & API Security > Output Encoding

Understanding Output Encoding

Output encoding is a defensive coding technique that converts untrusted data into a safe representation before it is rendered in an output context, neutralizing characters that would otherwise be interpreted as code. Because the correct encoding depends on the destination, contextual output encoding applies the appropriate scheme for HTML body, HTML attribute, JavaScript, CSS, or URL contexts, and is a primary defense against cross-site scripting XSS.

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