What is URL encoding?

URL encoding (percent encoding) replaces characters not allowed in URLs with a % sign followed by two hex digits. For example, a space becomes %20.

When should I URL-encode?

Whenever a query string parameter might contain spaces, &, =, #, or non-ASCII characters. Browsers do this automatically for the address bar, but APIs and manual URL building require it.

What is the difference between encodeURI and encodeURIComponent?

This tool uses encodeURIComponent which encodes all special characters. encodeURI leaves characters like :, /, ? intact because they have special meaning in a full URL.

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URL Encoder / Decoder

Encode special characters for safe use in URLs or decode percent-encoded strings back to readable text.

URL input

1 line • 48 chars

Paste URL text or percent-encoded text, keep line numbers visible, and run encode or decode without leaving fullscreen mode.

Quick examples

Encoded output

https%3A%2F%2Fexample.com%2Fsearch%3Fq%3Dhello%20world%26lang%3Den