Free Developer Tool
URL Encoder & Decoder
Professional tool for encoding and decoding URLs. Convert special characters to percent-encoded format or decode encoded strings back to readable text. 100% client-side processing - your data never leaves your browser.
Quick Usage Guide
Component vs Full URL
Use Component for encoding query parameters or path segments. Use Full URL when encoding an entire URL (preserves :, /, ?, #, etc.).
Recursive Decoding
Sometimes URLs get encoded multiple times. Enable Recursive to keep decoding until the string stops changing.
URL Encoding 101
What is URL Encoding?
URLs can only contain a limited set of ASCII characters. URL encoding (percent-encoding) converts unsafe characters like spaces, special symbols, and non-ASCII characters into a format that can be safely transmitted in URLs.
Why is it Important?
Proper URL encoding ensures data integrity, prevents special characters from being misinterpreted as URL syntax, and maintains compatibility across different browsers, servers, and systems.
encodeURIComponent vs encodeURI
encodeURIComponent encodes all special characters including
/ ? & =. Use it for query parameter values.
encodeURI preserves URL structure characters - use it for full URLs.
Security Considerations
Improper URL encoding can lead to injection attacks. Attackers may hide malicious commands in encoded strings. Always decode at the last step before use and sanitize user input to prevent XSS and other vulnerabilities.
Common Reserved Characters
| Character | Encoded | Usage in URL |
|---|---|---|
| Space | %20 or + | Separates parts of a string |
| / | %2F | Separates directories/paths |
| ? | %3F | Starts the query string |
| & | %26 | Separates query parameters |
| = | %3D | Assigns value to parameter |
| # | %23 | Fragment identifier (anchor) |
| @ | %40 | User info separator |
Common Use Cases
Search Query Parameters
Encode search terms before adding them to URLs. For example, "coffee & tea" becomes "coffee%20%26%20tea" to prevent breaking the URL structure.
Email Links (mailto:)
Encode subject lines and body text in mailto links. Special characters in email subjects need encoding to display correctly.
API Requests
When building API URLs programmatically, encode user-provided values to ensure valid request URLs and prevent injection vulnerabilities.
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