URL Encoder / Decoder
Encode and decode text for safe use in URLs.
URL Converter
How to Use This Tool
How to Use
- **Encode:** Converts special characters into their percent-encoded equivalents.
- **Decode:** Converts percent-encoded characters back into their original form.
What is URL Encoding (Percent-Encoding)?
A URL (Uniform Resource Locator) can only be sent over the internet using the ASCII character set. Because URLs often contain characters outside this set (like spaces, `+`, or `/`), they must be "translated" into a valid format.
**Percent-encoding** is the mechanism for this. It works by replacing unsafe characters with a `%` symbol followed by two hexadecimal digits that represent the character's ASCII value.
Example:
If you want to send the search query `blue shirt` in a URL, you cannot have a space. The browser will encode it.
- **Original:** `https://example.com/search?q=blue shirt`
- **Encoded:** `https://example.com/search?q=blue%20shirt`
This tool allows you to manually encode or decode these values, which is extremely useful for developers testing APIs or building links.
Common Characters & Their Encodings
While `encodeURIComponent` handles many characters, here are the most common ones you'll see.
| Character | Encoded Value |
|---|---|
| (space) | %20 |
| / | %2F |
| ? | %3F |
| & | %26 |
| = | %3D |
| : | %3A |