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URL Encode / Decode

Encode URL parameters or decode URL-encoded strings. Supports URI component, full URI, and form data encoding with percent encoding.

Input

0 characters

Output

No output yet

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What is URL Encoding?

URL encoding β€” also called percent-encoding β€” is a way of representing characters in a URL that would otherwise be unsafe, reserved, or ambiguous. Every "unsafe" byte is replaced with a percent sign (%) followed by its two-digit hexadecimal value, so a space becomes %20, an ampersand becomes %26, and so on.

URLs can only contain a limited set of ASCII characters. Anything outside that set β€” spaces, non-ASCII letters like Γ© or δΈ­, and reserved characters such as &, =, ?, and # that already have special meaning inside a URL β€” must be percent-encoded before it can be safely transmitted. This is defined by RFC 3986 and is used everywhere query strings, form data, and path segments are built.

What is this URL Encoder/Decoder?

This tool converts plain text into a percent-encoded, URL-safe string (encoding) and converts percent-encoded strings back into readable text (decoding). It supports three distinct encoding modes so you can match the exact behavior your use case needs, rather than guessing at a single "one size fits all" encode function.

Everything runs locally in your browser using the browser's native encodeURIComponent, encodeURI, and decodeURIComponent functions β€” your text is never sent to a server.

Why Use a URL Encoder/Decoder?

  • βœ“Building query strings β€” parameter values often contain spaces, &, =, or other characters that would break the query string if left as-is; encoding them keeps the URL valid.
  • βœ“Passing special characters safely β€” emails, search phrases, hashtags, and non-English text all need percent-encoding before being embedded in a URL or form submission.
  • βœ“Debugging malformed URLs β€” pasting a broken or double-encoded URL and decoding it reveals exactly what the server is receiving, making it easy to spot the mistake.
  • βœ“Working with APIs β€” many REST APIs require path segments or query parameters to be percent-encoded exactly per RFC 3986; testing that encoding here avoids trial-and-error against a live endpoint.
  • βœ“Reading log files or redirect URLs β€” server logs, referrer headers, and redirect targets are frequently percent-encoded and unreadable until decoded.

Features of This Tool

●URI Component encoding (encodeURIComponent) β€” the default mode, ideal for individual query parameter values
●Full URI encoding (encodeURI) β€” preserves structural characters like :, /, ?, #, and @ so a whole URL stays valid
●Form data encoding (application/x-www-form-urlencoded style) β€” same as component encoding but spaces become + instead of %20
●Automatic decode handling for + as space when decoding form-encoded strings
●Live character counts for both input and output
●One-click Sample Encode and Sample Decode buttons with realistic multi-line examples, including Unicode and emoji
●Swap button to move output back into input for quick round-trip encode/decode
●Upload a text file directly from disk
●Copy input or output to the clipboard, and download the result as a .txt file
●Clear error messages when a decode operation receives an invalid percent-encoded sequence
●Runs entirely client-side β€” nothing you type is uploaded anywhere

How to Use the URL Encoder/Decoder

  1. 1

    Enter your text

    Type or paste text into the input box, or upload a .txt file. Use "Sample Encode" or "Sample Decode" to load a ready-made example.

  2. 2

    Pick an encoding mode

    In the Actions panel, choose URI Component (for a single query value), Full URI (for a complete URL), or Form Data (for + instead of %20). The mode affects both encoding and decoding of + characters.

  3. 3

    Encode or decode

    Click "Encode URL" to percent-encode the input, or "Decode URL" to convert a percent-encoded string back to plain text.

  4. 4

    Check the result

    The output panel shows the converted text along with a success message and character count, or an error message if decoding failed.

  5. 5

    Swap, copy, or download

    Use "Swap" to send the output back into the input for another pass, "Copy Output" to copy it to your clipboard, or "Download Output" to save it as a .txt file.

Common URL Encoding Pitfalls

Double-encoding

Encoding an already-encoded string turns %20 into %2520 (the % itself gets encoded to %25). If a URL looks broken with repeated %25 sequences, decode it more than once, or start from the original unencoded text.

Encoding a full URL with URI Component mode

Running encodeURIComponent on an entire URL (e.g. https://example.com/search?q=x) also encodes the scheme's colon and slashes, turning it into an unusable string. Use Full URI mode instead when encoding a complete URL, and reserve URI Component mode for individual parameter values.

Decoding a full URI-encoded URL as a component

Full URI encoding intentionally leaves characters like :, /, ?, #, and @ untouched. If you only need to decode the encoded portions of a full URL, decoding still works fine here β€” but don't expect Full URI mode to touch structural characters when re-encoding.

Space as %20 vs +

A space becomes %20 under URI Component and Full URI modes, but becomes + under Form Data mode (the format used by application/x-www-form-urlencoded bodies, e.g. classic HTML form submissions). Mixing these up produces a literal "+" in decoded text, or a literal space where a "+" was expected.

Decoding a malformed percent sequence

A % that isn't followed by two valid hex digits (e.g. a stray % in text that was never encoded) causes decoding to fail with a URI malformed error. Make sure the text you're decoding is actually percent-encoded before running Decode.

Forgetting that + only means space in query strings

A literal + in a path segment or a non-form context is not automatically a space. This tool treats + as a space during decode when Form Data mode is selected, or automatically when the input contains a +, which may not always be what you want for non-form data.

URL Encoding Examples

Encoding a query parameter (URI Component)

A search phrase with a space and an ampersand, encoded for safe use as a single query string value.

Input

data utils & free tools

Output

data%20utils%20%26%20free%20tools

Encoding a full URL (Full URI)

A complete URL where the scheme, slashes, and query separators must stay intact while the query value is still readable.

Input

https://www.example.com/search?q=data utils

Output

https://www.example.com/search?q=data%20utils

Decoding a percent-encoded string

A typical encoded value pulled from a URL or log file, decoded back to readable text β€” including an encoded @ symbol and Unicode characters.

Input

user%40example.com%20%E4%BD%A0%E5%A5%BD

Output

user@example.com δ½ ε₯½

Frequently Asked Questions

Is my text uploaded anywhere?β–Ύ

No. Encoding and decoding both happen entirely in your browser using JavaScript's built-in encodeURIComponent, encodeURI, and decodeURIComponent functions. Nothing is sent to a server.

What's the difference between URI Component and Full URI encoding?β–Ύ

URI Component encoding (encodeURIComponent) encodes almost every special character, including :, /, ?, #, and @ β€” use it for a single value, like one query parameter. Full URI encoding (encodeURI) leaves those structural characters alone so a complete URL stays valid β€” use it when encoding an entire URL at once.

Why did my space turn into a + instead of %20?β–Ύ

That happens in Form Data mode, which mimics application/x-www-form-urlencoded β€” the format browsers use for classic HTML form submissions. Switch to URI Component or Full URI mode if you want %20 instead.

Why does decoding my string throw an error?β–Ύ

Decoding fails when the input contains a % that isn't followed by two valid hexadecimal digits, which means the text isn't validly percent-encoded. Double-check that you're decoding an actually-encoded string, not plain text with a stray % in it.

What is double-encoding and how do I fix it?β–Ύ

Double-encoding happens when an already-encoded string gets encoded a second time, turning % into %25 (e.g. %20 becomes %2520). If you see repeated %25 sequences, decode the string twice, or re-encode starting from the original plain text instead of the already-encoded version.

Can I encode a whole URL, not just a parameter?β–Ύ

Yes β€” use Full URI mode. It preserves the scheme, slashes, and other structural characters so the result is still a valid, working URL, unlike URI Component mode which would break the URL structure.

Does this tool support Unicode and emoji?β–Ύ

Yes. Non-ASCII characters, including accented letters, CJK text, and emoji, are converted into their UTF-8 byte sequence and then percent-encoded, and decoded back to the original characters correctly.