URL Encoder
Encode and decode URLs for safe use in web applications.
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How to Use URL Encoder
- 1Select the mode: 'Component' for encoding individual query parameter values, 'Full URL' for encoding a complete URL.
- 2Paste or type your text or URL into the input area.
- 3Click 'Encode' to percent-encode special characters, or 'Decode' to reverse the encoding.
- 4Click '⇄ Swap' to move the output back to the input for chaining operations.
- 5Copy the result with the 'Copy' button.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is URL encoding?
URL encoding (percent-encoding) replaces characters that are not safe in URLs with a % followed by their hexadecimal ASCII code. For example, a space becomes %20 and & becomes %26. This ensures URLs remain valid when transmitted over the internet.
What is the difference between encodeURIComponent and encodeURI?
encodeURIComponent encodes everything except A–Z, a–z, 0–9, -, _, ., !, ~, *, ', (, ). Use it for individual query parameter values. encodeURI leaves the structural characters of a URL intact (/, ?, &, =, #, :) and is used for encoding a complete URL while preserving its structure.
When should I use URL encoding?
Encode query parameter values when they contain special characters like spaces, ampersands, or equals signs. Encode file paths that contain non-ASCII characters. Encode the entire URL if it was constructed with user input that may contain spaces or international characters.
Why does decoding fail?
Decoding fails if the input contains an invalid percent-encoded sequence — for example, a lone % not followed by two hexadecimal digits. Make sure you're decoding a properly encoded URL string.
About URL Encoder
The URL Encoder and Decoder is a practical tool for web developers, QA engineers, and anyone working with URLs that contain special characters or non-ASCII text. Properly encoding URLs is essential for ensuring they work correctly in all browsers and HTTP clients, and for preventing security issues like query string injection.
The two modes cover the two most common URL encoding scenarios. Component mode (encodeURIComponent) is what you need when constructing query strings programmatically — it ensures that values containing characters like &, =, ?, and # are safely encoded so they don't interfere with URL structure. Full URL mode (encodeURI) is useful when you have a complete URL that needs to be encoded without breaking its structural characters.
URL decoding is equally important when working with incoming request parameters, reading URLs from logs, or debugging API calls. Percent-encoded URLs like https://example.com/search?q=hello%20world%20%26%20more are much easier to read and edit after decoding. The swap button lets you quickly decode an encoded URL, edit it, then re-encode for use.
Common use cases include: encoding user search queries before appending to a URL, decoding URLs copied from browser address bars or server logs, preparing URLs for use in HTML attributes or JavaScript fetch() calls, and debugging API requests that contain special characters in parameters.