URL Encoder/Decoder

Spaces, symbols, and special characters break URLs — percent-encoding fixes that. Encode any URL for safe transmission, or decode one back into readable text, instantly.

What is URL Encoder/Decoder?

A URL Encoder/Decoder converts between regular text and URL-safe percent-encoded format. Essential for web developers working with query parameters, API requests, and URL routing.

Formula

Encoding: Unsafe chars → % + 2-digit hex code ➡ Decoding: %XX → Original character

How to Calculate

Type or paste the text/URL you want to encode or decode.
Select Encode or Decode mode.
Click the Convert button.
Copy the result to use in your application.

Example

Encoding "Hello World & Friends!" → "Hello%20World%20%26%20Friends%21". Decoding "search%3Fq%3Dhello+world" → "search?q=hello world".

Key Benefits

Encode and decode instantly
Handle all special characters
Works entirely in browser
Free no sign-up required

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Double-encoding URLs by accident
Using the wrong encoding for the wrong context (URL vs HTML)
Forgetting that + represents space in query strings but not in path segments

Pro Tips

Always encode user-generated URL parameters
Use encodeURIComponent() for query parameters in JavaScript
Decode URLs before displaying them to users for readability

Key Terms Explained

URL encoding: Percent-encoding for safe URLs
Percent-encoding: % followed by hex code
Query string: Parameters after ? in URL
Reserved characters: Characters with special URL meaning

Common Use Cases

Building safe query strings for URLs
Processing API request parameters
Debugging encoded URLs
Creating URL-friendly slugs and paths

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do URLs need encoding?

URLs can only contain certain ASCII characters. Characters like spaces, &, ?, #, and non-ASCII characters must be encoded (percent-encoded) to ensure safe transmission over the internet.

What is percent-encoding?

Percent-encoding replaces unsafe characters with a % sign followed by their two-digit hexadecimal code. For example, a space becomes %20 and & becomes %26.

Is URL encoding the same as HTML encoding?

No. URL encoding (percent-encoding) is for URLs. HTML encoding uses entities like & for & or < for <. They serve different purposes in web development.

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