URL Encoder & Decoder
Encode special characters for URLs or decode percent-encoded strings. Fast, secure, and free.
How to Use the URL Encoder & Decoder
Our URL encoder and decoder tool helps you safely encode special characters for use in URLs or decode percent-encoded strings back to readable text. Perfect for developers working with APIs, query strings, and web applications.
Features
- URL Encode: Convert special characters to percent-encoded format
- URL Decode: Convert percent-encoded strings back to readable text
- Two Encoding Modes: Component mode (strict) or Full URL mode (preserves :/? characters)
- Auto-Detection: Automatically detects if your input is already encoded
- Swap Function: Quickly reverse the operation with one click
- Copy to Clipboard: One-click copy of encoded/decoded results
What is URL Encoding?
URL encoding (also known as percent encoding) is a method to encode special characters in URLs using the % character followed by two hexadecimal digits. This is necessary because URLs can only contain certain characters from the ASCII set. Special characters like spaces, ", <, >, #, %, and non-ASCII characters must be encoded.
Component vs Full URL Encoding
Component Mode (uses encodeURIComponent) encodes all special characters including :, /, ?, #, and &. This is ideal for encoding query parameters and data values. Full URL Mode (uses encodeURI) preserves these characters, making it suitable for encoding complete URLs while maintaining their structure.
Common Use Cases
- Encoding query parameters for API requests
- Preparing data for URL strings
- Debugging URL-related issues in web applications
- Creating shareable links with encoded parameters
- Working with OAuth and authentication URLs
- Encoding form data for GET requests
Examples
Encoding: "hello world" becomes "hello%20world"
Encoding: "user@example.com" becomes "user%40example.com"
Encoding: "a+b=c" becomes "a%2Bb%3Dc"
Privacy & Security
All encoding and decoding operations happen locally in your browser using JavaScript. No data is transmitted to any server, ensuring complete privacy and security for your URLs and data.