URL Encoder/Decoder

What is URL Encoding?

URL encoding (also called percent encoding) converts special characters and spaces in URLs into a format that can be safely transmitted over the internet. Special characters are replaced with a percent sign (%) followed by two hexadecimal digits representing the character's ASCII code.

Why Use URL Encoding?

URLs can only contain a limited set of characters safely. Encoding is necessary for:

• Special Characters: Handle spaces, ampersands, equals signs, and other special characters in URLs
• Query Parameters: Encode values in query strings to prevent parsing errors
• International Characters: Encode non-ASCII characters (UTF-8) for proper transmission
• API Requests: Ensure API URLs and parameters are properly formatted
• Web Development: Create URL-safe strings for dynamic content

Common Use Cases

Query Parameter Encoding

Encode query parameter values in URLs to handle special characters correctly. Essential for API requests, search functionality, and dynamic URL generation.

Form Data Submission

Encode form data before submitting via GET requests. Ensures form values with special characters don't break URL structure.

API Development

Encode API endpoint parameters and query strings. Prevents errors when parameters contain spaces, special characters, or international text.

Link Generation

Create safe URLs dynamically with user-generated content. Encoding ensures links work correctly regardless of content.

Debugging URLs

Decode URLs to understand what data is being transmitted. Useful for debugging API calls and understanding URL structure.

URL Encoding Types

Component Encoding (encodeURIComponent)

• Use For: Individual query parameter values
• Encodes: Most special characters including /, ?, #, &
• Example: hello world → hello%20world

Full URL Encoding (encodeURI)

• Use For: Complete URLs
• Encodes: Only characters that are invalid in URLs
• Preserves: /, ?, #, & (valid URL structure characters)
• Example: https://example.com/path?q=hello world

Common Encoded Characters

• Space: %20
• Ampersand (&): %26
• Equals (=): %3D
• Question Mark (?): %3F
• Hash (#): %23
• Plus (+): %2B
• Percent (%): %25

Best Practices

• Component vs Full: Use component encoding for parameter values, full encoding for complete URLs
• Decode Before Use: Always decode URLs before processing to get original values
• Double Encoding: Avoid double-encoding (encoding already encoded strings)
• UTF-8 Support: Ensure proper UTF-8 encoding for international characters
• Validation: Validate URLs after encoding to ensure they're still valid

Privacy and Security

Our URL Encoder/Decoder processes all data entirely in your browser. No URLs or data are sent to our servers, ensuring complete privacy for sensitive information.

Related Tools

If you need other encoding or text tools, check out:

• Base64 Encode/Decode: Encode and decode Base64 data
• HTML Encoder: Encode HTML entities
• Character Count: Count characters in text