URL Encoder / Decoder

Encode and decode URLs with special characters. Convert to percent-encoded format instantly.

🔗 URL Encoder / Decoder

Encode and decode URLs with special characters instantly

Mode

Method

Input

0 characters (0 B)

Output

0 characters (0 B)

⌨️ Shortcuts:Ctrl+Enter = Encode • Ctrl+Shift+D = Decode • Ctrl+L = Clear

📊 Statistics

Input Length0

Output Length0

Difference0

EncodedNo

What is URL Encoding?

URL encoding (also called percent encoding) is a mechanism for encoding information in a URL. It is used to convert characters that have special meaning in URLs into a format that can be safely transmitted over the internet. When you have special characters in a URL, they need to be encoded using the percent sign (%) followed by two hexadecimal digits.

Why Use URL Encoding?

✓Reserved Characters: Some characters like ?, &, =, and # have special meanings in URLs and must be encoded when used as data.
✓Unsafe Characters: Spaces and other characters cannot be transmitted directly in URLs and must be encoded.
✓International Characters: Non-ASCII characters must be encoded to ensure compatibility across systems.
✓API Compatibility: Many APIs require URL-encoded parameters for proper data transmission.

Common URL Encoding Examples

Space

Plain: hello world

Encoded: hello%20world

Question Mark

Plain: what?

Encoded: what%3F

Ampersand

Plain: a&b

Encoded: a%26b

Equals Sign

Plain: key=value

Encoded: key%3Dvalue

encodeURI vs encodeURIComponent

encodeURI()

Used for encoding complete URLs. It does NOT encode reserved characters like :, /, ?, #, &, =, which are needed for URL structure.

encodeURI("https://example.com/search?q=hello world")
→ https://example.com/search?q=hello%20world

encodeURIComponent()

Used for encoding URL components (query parameters, path segments). It encodes ALL special characters including :, /, ?, #, &, =.

encodeURIComponent("hello world")
→ hello%20world

How to Use This Tool

1.Paste Your Content: Enter a URL, query string, or text in the input field.
2.Select Mode: Choose between Encode, Decode, or Auto Detect mode.
3.Choose Method: Select encodeURI for full URLs or encodeURIComponent for URL components.
4.Get Results: The output updates automatically as you type, or click Encode/Decode for manual processing.
5.Copy Output: Click the Copy button to copy the result to your clipboard.

Advanced Features

🔍 Query Parameter Viewer

Automatically extracts and displays all query parameters from your URL.

🔗 URL Breakdown

Shows the components of your URL: protocol, domain, path, query, and fragment.

📊 Character Encoding Table

Reference table showing common characters and their percent-encoded equivalents.

📋 History Tracking

Keeps track of your recent encodings and decodings for quick access.

⌨️ Keyboard Shortcuts

Use Ctrl+Enter to encode, Ctrl+Shift+D to decode, and Ctrl+L to clear.

🌙 Dark Mode

Toggle between light and dark themes for comfortable viewing.

Use Cases

Web Development: Encode query parameters when building URLs dynamically in JavaScript or other languages.

API Integration: Prepare data for API requests that require URL-encoded parameters.

SEO & Analytics: Decode tracking URLs to understand what parameters are being passed.

Debugging: Decode error messages or logs that contain encoded URLs to understand what went wrong.

Data Migration: Convert between encoded and decoded formats when moving data between systems.

Ready to Encode or Decode URLs?

Start using this free URL Encoder/Decoder tool today. We do not collect or store what you enter. Perfect for developers, testers, and anyone working with URLs!

Frequently Asked Questions

What is URL encoding?

URL encoding (percent-encoding) replaces characters that are not allowed in a URL with % followed by their hexadecimal code, for example a space becomes %20 and & becomes %26.

What is the difference between encodeURI and encodeURIComponent?

encodeURI keeps characters that structure a URL, such as / ? & and =, so it suits a whole URL. encodeURIComponent encodes those too, so it suits a single query-string value.

Why is a space sometimes + instead of %20?

HTML forms encode spaces in query strings as +. Both mean a space in a query string, but only %20 is correct in the path of a URL.

Why does decoding fail?

Decoding fails when a % is not followed by two valid hex digits, for example 100% on its own. Encode the text first, or fix the stray % sign.

Is my data private?

Yes. We do not collect or store what you enter.

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