URL Encoder / Decoder
Encode and decode URL strings. Percent-encode special characters or decode URL-encoded strings instantly.
Output will appear here...
Encodes/decodes using percent-encoding (RFC 3986) via encodeURIComponent / decodeURIComponent.
Runs locally in your browser. 100% private & secure.
About URL Encoder / Decoder
What is URL Encoding?
URL encoding (also known as Percent-encoding) is a mechanism for converting characters into a format that can be safely transmitted over the Internet. URLs can only be sent using the standard ASCII character set.Why is it necessary?
URLs often contain parameters or data (like a search query). If a user searches for "apples & oranges", the "&" symbol has a special meaning in a URL (it separates parameters). If left unencoded, the server will misinterpret the URL. URL encoding replaces unsafe characters with a "%" followed by their two-digit hexadecimal equivalent.- Space becomes
%20 - & becomes
%26 - ? becomes
%3F
Decoding URLs
If you are analyzing server logs or web traffic, you will often encounter long, unreadable strings of percent-encoded characters. Use the decoder function to instantly translate them back into human-readable text.Frequently Asked Questions
What is percent-encoding?
Percent-encoding is a mechanism for encoding information in a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI). Reserved characters are replaced with a "%" followed by two hexadecimal digits representing the ASCII value of the character.
When should I URL encode text?
You should URL encode any text that will be passed as a query string parameter in a URL. For example, if a user search query contains spaces or "&" symbols, it must be encoded to avoid breaking the URL structure.