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.