How to Use the URL Encoder and Decoder
Paste your text or URL-encoded string into the input field and click Encode to convert special characters to their percent-encoded equivalents, or click Decode to convert a percent-encoded string back to readable text. The tool handles all special characters, spaces, unicode text, and reserved URL characters. Use the copy button to quickly grab the result for use in your code or browser.
Understanding URL Encoding
URL encoding, formally known as percent encoding, is defined in RFC 3986 and is essential for web development. URLs can only contain characters from the unreserved set: letters, digits, hyphens, underscores, periods, and tildes. All other characters, including spaces, punctuation, and international characters, must be converted to their UTF-8 byte values and represented with a percent sign followed by two hexadecimal digits. For example, a space can be encoded as %20, a forward slash as %2F, and a multi-byte character like a Chinese character may require multiple percent-encoded bytes.
Common Uses for URL Encoding
Developers use URL encoding when building query strings with user-provided values, constructing API request URLs with special parameters, encoding form data for GET requests, creating deep links or sharing URLs with special characters, and handling internationalized domain names and paths. Proper URL encoding prevents broken links, security vulnerabilities like injection attacks, and data corruption during transmission between clients and servers.