URL Encode/Decode
Encode URLs to percent-encoding or decode them back. Free online URL encoder and decoder.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is URL encoding?
URL encoding (also called percent-encoding) converts special characters in a URL into a format that can be safely transmitted over the internet. Characters like spaces, ampersands, and non-ASCII characters are replaced with % followed by their hexadecimal ASCII code.
Why do I need URL encoding?
URLs can only contain a limited set of ASCII characters. Special characters like spaces, question marks, ampersands, and non-English characters must be encoded to avoid being misinterpreted by web servers. For example, a space becomes %20, and & becomes %26.
What is the difference between encodeURI and encodeURIComponent?
encodeURI encodes a full URL but preserves characters like ://?& that have special meaning in URLs. encodeURIComponent encodes everything, including those characters, making it suitable for encoding query parameter values. Our tool uses encodeURIComponent for maximum safety.
Is URL encoding the same as HTML encoding?
No. URL encoding converts characters to %XX format for URLs. HTML encoding converts characters like < and > to < and > for safe display in HTML. They serve different purposes and produce different output.
Is this tool free and private?
Yes, completely free with no sign-up required. All encoding/decoding happens in your browser. Your data never leaves your device.