Encode and decode URLs online for free. Convert special characters into URL-safe strings with percent-encoding support for developers working with web APIs.
URL encoding (percent-encoding) follows RFC 3986: characters outside the unreserved set (A-Z, a-z, 0-9, - _ . ~) get converted to %XX hexadecimal. JavaScript's encodeURIComponent() does this, transforming spaces to %20, ampersands to %26, etc. It's essential for query parameters—'key=value&other=data' breaks if 'value' contains an unescaped &. Decoding reverses the process using decodeURIComponent(). Some characters (/, :, ?) have special meaning in URLs, so encoding depends on context: encodeURI() preserves them for full URLs, encodeURIComponent() escapes everything for parameters. This tool uses the component version.
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Choose 'Encode' or 'Decode' mode.
Type or paste your text into the input box.
The result appears instantly using encodeURIComponent() or decodeURIComponent().
Click the copy icon to save the result to your clipboard.
Use the 'Clear' button to start over.
Spaces become %20 in URLs
Hello World
Hello%20World
Special characters in search queries
name=John Doe&email=john@example.com
name%3DJohn%20Doe%26email%3Djohn%40example.com
Make encoded URLs readable again
product%3Dlaptop%26price%3D%24999
product=laptop&price=$999
Encode user search queries for URLs safely.
Understand what's actually being sent to the server.
Create tracking URLs with parameters.
Share links containing non-English text.
**Unreserved** (safe, don't need encoding): A-Z, a-z, 0-9, -, _, ., ~ **Reserved** (special meaning, encode if used as data): : / ? # [ ] @ ! $ & ' ( ) * + , ; = **Everything else**: MUST be encoded (spaces, unicode, etc.) When in doubt, encode it! Better safe than broken URLs.
Each encoded character becomes %XX where XX is hexadecimal: - Space: %20 - #: %23 - &: %26 - =: %3D - ?: %3F For Unicode: First convert to UTF-8 bytes, then encode each byte. Example: € → UTF-8: [E2, 82, AC] → %E2%82%AC
**Path** (example.com/path/to/page): Encode spaces, special chars, but NOT forward slashes **Query string** (example.com?key=value): Encode EVERYTHING except & (separator) and = (assignment) **Fragment** (example.com#section): Encode special characters, rarely used Different parts, different rules! Know where your data goes.
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