URL Encoder & Decoder

Safely encode and decode strings for use in URLs.

How to Use the URL Encoder/Decoder

  1. Input Your Text: Paste or type the string or full URL you want to process into the "Input" box.
  2. Choose an Action:
    • Click "Encode" to convert special characters into their percent-encoded format (e.g., a space becomes `%20`).
    • Click "Decode" to convert percent-encoded characters back into their normal form (e.g., `%20` becomes a space).
  3. Get the Result: The processed text will immediately appear in the "Output" box.

About URL (Percent) Encoding

URLs can only be sent over the internet using the ASCII character set. Since URLs often contain characters outside this set (like spaces, ampersands, or non-English characters), they need to be converted into a valid format. URL encoding, also known as percent-encoding, is the process of replacing these unsafe characters with a '%' followed by two hexadecimal digits that represent the character's value.

For example, a space character is encoded as `%20`, and an ampersand `&` is encoded as `%26`. This is essential for passing data in URL query parameters correctly and ensuring that URLs are interpreted correctly by web servers and browsers. Our tool provides a simple and reliable way to perform this encoding and decoding for any string or URL component.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Why do I need to encode URLs?

You need to encode URLs to ensure that all characters are valid for transmission over the internet. Special characters like `?`, `&`, `/`, and `:` have reserved meanings in a URL's structure. If you want to include these characters as part of a data value (e.g., in a search query), you must encode them so they are not misinterpreted by the server.

What's the difference between `encodeURI` and `encodeURIComponent`?

In JavaScript, `encodeURI` is meant to encode a full URL and will not encode reserved characters like `; , / ? : @ & = + $ #`. In contrast, `encodeURIComponent` is meant to encode a component of a URL (like a query parameter) and will encode those reserved characters. Our tool uses `encodeURIComponent` for maximum safety, as it's the more common and generally required use case.

Is this the same as HTML entity encoding?

No. URL encoding (`%20`) is for making characters safe to use in a URL. HTML entity encoding (`&`, `<`) is for making characters safe to display within an HTML document, preventing them from being interpreted as HTML tags. They are used for different purposes.