> Browsers and servers impose practical limits on URL length (usually between 2,000 and 8,000 characters) but the reality is more nuanced. As this detailed Stack Overflow answer explains, limits come from a mix of browser behavior, server configurations, CDNs, and even search engine constraints. If you’re bumping against them, it’s a sign you need to rethink your approach.

So what is the reality? The linked StackOverflow answer claims that, as of 2023, it is "under 2000 characters". How much state can you fit into under 2000 characters without resorting to tricks for reducing the number of characters for different parameters? And what would a rethought approach look like?

▲ djoldman 4 days ago | parent [-]

Each of those characters (aside from domain) could be any of 66 unique ones:

   Uppercase letters: A through Z (26 characters)

   Lowercase letters: a through z (26 characters)

   Digits: 0 through 9 (10 characters)

   Special: - . _ ~ (4 characters)

So you'd get a lot of bang for your buck if you really wanted to encode a lot of information.

	▲	croes 4 days ago \| parent [-]
		Unless you have some kind of mapping to encode different states with different character blocks your possibilities are much more limited. Like storing product ids or EAN plus the number of items. Just hope the user isn’t on a shopping spree