URL Encoder/Decoder
Safely encode or decode URLs for web use.
How to use
Paste the text or value you want to encode and click 'Encode URL'. To reverse a percent-encoded string, paste it and click 'Decode URL'.
- Paste the value you want to encode, or a percent-encoded string you want to decode.
- Click 'Encode URL' or 'Decode URL' depending on which direction you need.
- Copy the result to your clipboard.
About URL Encoder/Decoder
URL Encoder/Decoder converts text using percent-encoding so it can be safely used inside a URL — for example, as a query parameter value. It encodes and decodes URL components specifically, so it's built for individual values like query parameters or path segments rather than a complete URL.
Encoding a Component vs a Full URL
This tool encodes URL components — a single value, like a query parameter or path segment — not entire URLs. That's an important distinction: characters like / and : are part of a URL's actual structure and need to stay unencoded for the URL to work, but they're also exactly the kind of characters this tool encodes, since it can't tell the difference between structural characters and ones that happen to appear inside a value.
In practice, that means the right way to use this tool is to encode just the piece that needs it — a search term, an email address, a parameter value — and build the rest of the URL around it yourself.
Common Use Cases
- Encoding a value (like a search query or email address) before appending it to a URL as a query parameter.
- Decoding a URL you copied from a browser address bar to read what a %-encoded parameter actually says.
- Debugging why a link with special characters (spaces, &, =, #) isn't behaving as expected.
Common Mistakes
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I encode an entire URL with this tool?
You can, but it will encode every special character including the ones that make it a working URL, like ':' and '/'. This tool is built for encoding individual pieces — like a query parameter's value — not the full address.
What characters actually get encoded?
This tool uses the browser's encodeURIComponent, which leaves letters, digits, and a small set of characters (- _ . ! ~ * ' ( )) unencoded and percent-encodes everything else, including reserved URL characters like /, :, &, and =.