is base64 encoding url safe?

Question

I'm using a node.bcrypt.js hash returning hex numbers in node.js for a password reset token.

user.reset_password_token = require('crypto').randomBytes(32).toString('hex'
);

Should I also base64 encode the token before I pass it around in urls (ie: link reset email)?

Is there any benefit to doing this?

I seem to recall base64 encoding can contain forward slashes which would mess up the path:

   var token = user.reset_password_token;

   //is there any benefit to doing base64 encoding?
   var encoded_token = new Buffer(token).toString('base64');

   var reset_link = 'http://example.com/reset/'+ encoded_token;
   sendResetLink( reset_link );

Answer 1

Hey guys I solved using URLSafeBase64 nodejs LIB at https://www.npmjs.org/package/urlsafe-base64

var email =email_lines.join("\r\n").trim();
var base64EncodedEmail = URLSafeBase64.encode(new Buffer(email));
gmail.users.messages.send({userId:"me",
        resource: {raw:base64EncodedEmail} }, callbackFn});

Answer 2

Another option is base64url library:

base64url("ladies and gentlemen we are floating in space");
// bGFkaWVzIGFuZCBnZW50bGVtZW4gd2UgYXJlIGZsb2F0aW5nIGluIHNwYWNl

Answer 3

base64 can indeed contain forward slashes, but base32 can't!