URL encoder / decoder

URL encoding (also called percent-encoding) converts characters that are unsafe to use in a URL into an escape sequence of the form %XX, where XX is the hexadecimal value of the character. For example, a space becomes %20 and an at-sign becomes %40. This ensures the URL is valid across all browsers and servers.

Whenever you embed free text in a URL: GET parameters with special characters or spaces (e.g. ?q=café latte), hash fragments, or any user-supplied data in the query string. Without encoding, the server may interpret reserved characters (&, =, #) as structural URL elements rather than data.

encodeURI encodes a full URL and leaves structural reserved characters untouched (:, /, ?, &, #). encodeURIComponent encodes everything, including those characters, because it assumes you are encoding a parameter value rather than a full URL. This tool uses encodeURIComponent, which is the correct standard for encoding individual values.

There are two conventions: RFC 3986 uses %20 for spaces, while the application/x-www-form-urlencoded format (HTML forms) uses +. Modern browsers and encodeURIComponent follow RFC 3986 and produce %20, which is correct for any URL. The + sign should only be used in HTML form bodies, not in general URLs.

Web and back-end developers use it daily to encode dynamic parameters in REST APIs, build query strings with special characters, and debug malformed URLs received from clients. SEO specialists need it to correctly encode keywords in search parameters, canonical URLs, and UTM parameters containing non-ASCII characters. Data analysts use it to clean URLs extracted from server logs or analytics tool exports that contain accented characters, spaces, and extended characters. Cybersecurity professionals use it to analyse and build test payloads during penetration tests and input validation exercises. Designers and content creators consult it to understand why a URL appears with percent signs and how to decode it into a readable form.

On desktop, press Ctrl + D (Windows/Linux) or Cmd + D (Mac) in Chrome, Firefox, or Edge to add this page to your bookmarks instantly. In Safari for Mac, use Cmd + D or go to Bookmarks → Add Bookmark. On mobile with Chrome (Android), tap the three-dot menu (⋮) and choose "Add to Home screen" or "Add to bookmarks." On mobile with Safari (iPhone/iPad), tap the share button (□↑) and then "Add to Home Screen." Keeping it in your browser's bookmarks bar saves you time searching for it whenever you encounter an encoded URL that needs decoding.