URL Encode/Decode
Free online URL encoder and decoder. Instantly encode or decode URLs and text. All processing happens locally in your browser for maximum privacy.
How to Use URL Encode/Decode
Enter Your Text
Type or paste the text or URL you want to encode or decode into the input panel.
Choose Action
Click "Encode" to convert special characters to percent-encoded format (e.g., space becomes %20). Click "Decode" to convert encoded URLs back to readable text.
Get the Result
The result appears instantly in the output panel. All processing happens locally in your browser.
Examples
Before (Plain Text)
Hello World & Welcome to DevTools Hub!After (URL Encoded)
Hello%20World%20%26%20Welcome%20to%20DevTools%20Hub!Frequently Asked Questions
What is URL encoding?
URL encoding (also called percent-encoding) converts characters that are not allowed in URLs into a safe format. For example, spaces become %20, and special characters like &, ?, and # are encoded to prevent them from being interpreted as URL syntax. This ensures URLs are valid and can be transmitted reliably over the internet.
When do I need to URL encode text?
You need URL encoding whenever you include user-supplied data in a URL, such as query parameters, form data, or path segments. For example, if a search query contains spaces or special characters, they must be encoded before being added to the URL.
What's the difference between encodeURI and encodeURIComponent?
encodeURI is designed for encoding complete URLs and preserves characters that have syntactic meaning in URLs (like /, ?, &, #). encodeURIComponent encodes everything except alphanumeric characters and -_.!~*'(), making it suitable for encoding individual query parameter values. Our tool uses encodeURIComponent for maximum safety.
Why does decoding sometimes fail?
Decoding fails when the input contains invalid percent sequences, such as % followed by non-hexadecimal characters or incomplete sequences like %2. This usually happens when the encoded text was truncated or manually edited incorrectly.
Understanding URL Encoding
URLs can only contain a limited set of characters from the ASCII character set. URL encoding replaces unsafe characters with a % followed by two hexadecimal digits representing the character's ASCII code. This ensures that URLs can be transmitted reliably without misinterpretation by browsers and servers.
Common Encoded Characters
- Space → %20
- & (ampersand) → %26
- # (hash) → %23
- ? (question mark) → %3F
- = (equals) → %3D