About URL Encoder / Decoder
URLs can only contain a limited set of ASCII characters. Special characters like spaces, &, ?, =, #, and non-ASCII characters (like Chinese or Arabic text) must be percent-encoded before they can appear in a URL. Our free URL Encoder / Decoder handles both encoding and decoding of full URLs, query strings, and individual components — instantly in your browser.
Percent-encoding (also called URL-encoding) replaces unsafe characters with a % followed by their two-digit hex code. For example, a space becomes %20, & becomes %26, and é becomes %C3%A9. This is required in URLs, HTML form submissions, HTTP headers, and API query parameters. Our tool correctly handles both encodeURI (encodes a complete URL, leaving structural characters intact) and encodeURIComponent (encodes a URL component, including structural characters).
Common developer use cases: encoding API query parameters that contain special characters, decoding encoded URLs from logs or analytics tools, encoding user-generated content before inserting it into a URL, and debugging URL-related issues in web applications.
How to Use the URL Encoder / Decoder
Choose mode
Select Encode (text → URL-safe) or Decode (URL-encoded → readable text).
Paste your URL or component
Enter a full URL or just a query string value.
View and copy the result
Encoded or decoded output appears instantly. Copy to clipboard with one click.
Key Features & Highlights
Common Use Cases
- Encode query string parameters with special characters
- Decode percent-encoded URLs from server logs
- Encode user-generated content for URL insertion
- Debug malformed URL encoding issues
- Encode API request parameters
Frequently Asked Questions
encodeURI encodes a complete URL and leaves structural characters like /, ?, &, and # intact. encodeURIComponent encodes a single component (like a query parameter value) and encodes those structural characters too. Use encodeURIComponent for query parameter values.
In URLs, spaces are encoded as %20 (standard percent-encoding). In HTML form data submitted with application/x-www-form-urlencoded, spaces are encoded as + instead. Our tool uses %20 by default, which is correct for modern URLs.
Yes, 100% free with no hidden fees, subscriptions, or account requirements.
Everything runs client-side directly inside your web browser. No files, texts, or parameters are sent to our servers.
Yes, our tools are fully responsive and work seamlessly on iPhones, iPads, Android smartphones, and tablets.