URL Encoder/Decoder
Free URL encoder and decoder — encode and decode URLs and URL components. Free online percent encoding tool.Encode and decode URLs and URL components. Full URL and component modes with percent encoding. Works 100% in your browser.
About URL Encoder/Decoder
URL encoding (also known as percent-encoding) is a mechanism for encoding information in a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) under certain circumstances. It's used to convert characters that are not allowed in URLs into a format that can be transmitted over the internet. Special characters are replaced with a percent sign (%) followed by two hexadecimal digits representing the character's ASCII value.
How to Use
- Select Encode or Decode mode.
- Choose URL Component mode if you want to encode/decode query string parameters (spaces become %20).
- Enter your text or URL in the input area.
- Click Convert to see the result.
- Use Copy to copy the result to your clipboard.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between full URL and component mode?
Full URL mode uses encodeURI/decodeURI which preserves URL-reserved characters like :, /, ?, #, etc. Component mode uses encodeURIComponent/decodeURIComponent which encodes all special characters, making it suitable for query string parameters and form data.
When should I use URL encoding?
You need URL encoding when passing special characters, spaces, or non-ASCII characters in URLs. This includes query parameters, path segments with spaces, and any data that will be part of a URL.
Is my data kept private?
Yes, completely. All encoding and decoding happens locally in your browser using JavaScript. No data is ever transmitted to any server or stored anywhere.
What characters get encoded?
Characters that are encoded include spaces (as %20 or +), special symbols like ! @ # $ % ^ & * ( ) = + [ ] { } | \ : ; " ' < > , . ? /, and all non-ASCII characters. In component mode, reserved URL characters are also encoded.
Why do I get an error when decoding?
Decoding errors typically occur when the input contains invalid percent-encoding sequences (like % followed by non-hexadecimal characters) or when there's a mismatch between the encoding method used and the decoding method selected.