# Configuration URL giving error as unknown escape character

**URL:** <https://discuss.elastic.co/t/configuration-url-giving-error-as-unknown-escape-character/160175>\
**Category:** Beats\
**Tags:** heartbeat\
**Created:** [December 10, 2018, 1:01pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/configuration-url-giving-error-as-unknown-escape-character/160175 "2018-12-10T13:01:01Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jarvis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e36b37/32.png) [@jarvis](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/jarvis)\
**Post date:** [December 10, 2018, 1:01pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/configuration-url-giving-error-as-unknown-escape-character/160175/1 "2018-12-10T13:01:01Z")

</div>

I am configuring the below URL in the heartbeat configuration file. The Url requires MSEC authentication with the mentioned creds.  
My username contains a "backslash" and passowrd contains a '#'  
**URL - [http://user\name:pass#word@abc.com](http://user%5Cname:pass#word@abc.com)**

While executing I am getting an error as " unknown escape character ".  
Can you tell the correct URL to be configured? Along with can, u share the correct way of configuring it.  
Also, explain how to configure username and passwords with a special character.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Andrew\_Cholakian1](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/andrew_cholakian1/32/3612_2.png) [@Andrew\_Cholakian1](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Andrew_Cholakian1)\
**Post date:** [December 12, 2018, 7:28pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/configuration-url-giving-error-as-unknown-escape-character/160175/2 "2018-12-12T19:28:29Z")

</div>

You must either URL escape those fields or you can set the user/pass as [options](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/beats/heartbeat/current/configuration-heartbeat-options.html#monitor-http-password) on the monitor without the URL syntax.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/original/3X/1/a/1ac57faf039f6b580b3f104ef42a2a89e41014de.png) [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)\
**Post date:** [January 9, 2019, 7:28pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/configuration-url-giving-error-as-unknown-escape-character/160175/3 "2019-01-09T19:28:30Z")

</div>

This topic was automatically closed 28 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.