use Text::Quote::Self qw(quote_text);

my $safe = quote_text($user_input); # create a magic string object
$safe = Text::Quote::Self->new($user_input); # ditto
say $safe; # input as is
say $safe->as_uri; # uri-encoded
$safe =~ s/foo/bar/; # changes original, permanently
my $data = { text => $safe };

# elsewhere in the app

say JSON::XS->new->allow_blessed->convert_blessed->encode($data);
    #text as is

local $Text::Quote::Self::Style = "as_html";
say $data->{text}; # now with entities

# or in a Template 
You were searching for 
<a href="/search?q=[% search_term.as_uri %]">[% search_term %]</a>.