URL Encoder / Decoder
Encode and decode URL strings instantly. Convert special characters to percent-encoded format for safe URL transmission. Parse and view query parameters in a readable table format.
URL encoding (also called percent-encoding) converts special characters into a format that can be safely transmitted in URLs. Our free URL Encoder/Decodertool instantly encodes text for use in URLs and decodes percent-encoded strings back to readable text. URL encoding is essential for passing data in query strings, handling special characters like spaces, ampersands, and non-ASCII characters, and building valid URLs programmatically. The tool also parses query parameters into a readable table format. All processing happens entirely in your browser—your URLs and data are never sent to any server, ensuring complete privacy.
100% Client-Side Processing
All URL encoding and decoding happens directly in your browser using native JavaScript functions (encodeURIComponent,decodeURIComponent). Your URLs and data never leave your device. This tool works offline after the page loads.
How to Use the URL Encoder / Decoder
- Select your mode using the toggle: "Encode" converts text to URL-safe format, "Decode" converts percent-encoded strings back to text.
- Enter your input in the left textarea. For encoding, enter any text including special characters. For decoding, paste a URL or encoded string.
- View the result instantly in the right textarea as you type.
- View query parameters (decode mode) in the table below to see parsed key-value pairs from URL query strings.
- Copy the output or use "Swap & Decode/Encode" to quickly reverse the operation on your result.
What Characters Get Encoded?
URL encoding converts unsafe characters to percent-encoded format. Here's what gets converted:
| Character | Encoded | Description |
|---|---|---|
| (space) | %20 | Space character |
| & | %26 | Ampersand (query separator) |
| = | %3D | Equals (key-value separator) |
| ? | %3F | Question mark (query start) |
| / | %2F | Forward slash (path separator) |
| # | %23 | Hash (fragment identifier) |
Related Tools
Need to encode binary data? Try our Base64 Encoder/Decoder for text and file encoding. Working with API responses? Use our JSON Formatter & Viewer to validate and pretty-print JSON data.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is URL encoding and why is it needed?▼
URL encoding (percent-encoding) converts characters that are unsafe or have special meaning in URLs into a format that can be safely transmitted. URLs can only contain ASCII characters, and certain characters like spaces, ampersands, and question marks have special meanings. Encoding replaces these with a percent sign followed by two hex digits representing the character's ASCII code. For example, a space becomes %20 and an ampersand becomes %26.
What's the difference between encodeURI and encodeURIComponent?▼
encodeURI is designed for encoding complete URLs and preserves characters that are valid in URLs (like /, ?, #, &, =). encodeURIComponent encodes everything except letters, digits, and a few safe characters (- _ . ! ~ * ' ( )). This tool uses encodeURIComponent because it's safer for encoding individual values that will be used as query parameters or path segments.
Why do I see %20 instead of + for spaces?▼
Both %20 and + can represent spaces, but they come from different encoding standards. %20 is the standard URL encoding (RFC 3986). The + character for spaces comes from the older application/x-www-form-urlencoded format used in HTML forms. Modern JavaScript's encodeURIComponent uses %20, which is universally compatible with all URL contexts, not just form submissions.
Can I encode non-ASCII characters like emojis or Chinese?▼
Yes! JavaScript's encodeURIComponent handles Unicode characters by first converting them to UTF-8 bytes, then encoding each byte. For example, the emoji 😀 becomes %F0%9F%98%80 (four UTF-8 bytes). Chinese characters like 你好 become %E4%BD%A0%E5%A5%BD. This ensures international text can be safely included in URLs while maintaining compatibility with servers worldwide.
Why is my decoded URL showing an error?▼
Decoding errors typically occur when: (1) The input contains a % not followed by two valid hex digits (e.g., %GG or %2). (2) The encoded bytes don't form valid UTF-8 sequences. (3) The string was double-encoded and needs to be decoded twice. Try checking for stray % characters or ensuring the string was properly encoded to begin with. The tool will warn you about potentially malformed sequences.
Frequently Asked Questions
❓ Is this tool free?
Yes! All our tools are completely free. No registration, no hidden charges, no ads. Just open and use.
🔒 Is my data safe?
Absolutely. All calculations happen in your browser. We don't store, send, or track any of your data. Everything is processed locally on your device.
📱 Can I use this on mobile?
Yes! All our tools are fully responsive and work perfectly on smartphones, tablets, and desktops.
🌐 Do I need internet?
No! Once the page loads, you can use the tool completely offline. All calculations happen in your browser without any server connection.