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How to Use How to URL Encode and Decode Text Online for Free
Step 1
Paste your text
Step 2
Choose encode/decode
Step 3
Result appears
Step 4
Copy output
What Is URL Encoding?
URL encoding (also called percent-encoding) converts characters that are not allowed in URLs into a safe format. Each unsafe character is replaced with a percent sign followed by two hexadecimal digits. For example, a space becomes %20, and an ampersand becomes %26. This ensures URLs work correctly across all browsers and servers.
How to URL Encode Text Online
- Paste your text into the URL Encoder input box.
- Choose Encode to convert special characters to percent-encoded format.
- The encoded URL appears in the output box instantly.
- Copy the result and use it in your application or browser.
How to URL Decode
Switch to Decode mode, paste your percent-encoded string, and the original readable text appears. This is useful for reading encoded query strings in URLs or debugging API requests.
Which Characters Get Encoded?
Characters that must be encoded in URLs include spaces, quotes, angle brackets, curly braces, pipe, backslash, caret, backtick, and all non-ASCII characters. Characters that are safe and stay unchanged include letters (A–Z, a–z), digits (0–9), hyphens, underscores, periods, and tildes.
URL Encoding vs Form Encoding
Standard URL encoding uses %20 for spaces. HTML form encoding (application/x-www-form-urlencoded) uses + for spaces instead. When encoding query string parameters submitted from a form, use form encoding. When encoding path segments or values in REST APIs, use standard URL encoding.
Common Uses for URL Encoding
URL encoding is essential when building query strings programmatically. If a search query contains an ampersand, it must be encoded as %26 or the server will treat it as a parameter separator. When passing URLs as parameter values inside other URLs, the inner URL must be fully encoded. Special characters in filenames that appear in URLs also need encoding.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I encode the entire URL? No — only encode the values within query parameters and path segments, not the full URL including protocol and domain.
What is the difference between encodeURI and encodeURIComponent in JavaScript? encodeURI encodes a full URL and leaves structural characters like / and ? intact. encodeURIComponent encodes everything including those characters — use it for individual parameter values.