Everyday Tools
URL encoder and decoder
Percent-encode text so it's safe to drop into a URL or query string, or decode a %-encoded URL back into readable text. Handles spaces, symbols, and non-English characters correctly.
When to use URL encoding
Any time you build a link by hand or assemble a query string, the values can contain characters that have special meaning in a URL — spaces, &, ?, #, or non-Latin letters. URL encoding converts those into a safe %-prefixed form so the link doesn't break or get misinterpreted. Decoding does the reverse, turning a cryptic-looking URL back into something readable.
It's especially handy when debugging analytics links, building UTM campaign URLs, sharing search queries, or passing redirect URLs as parameters. Because the work happens in your browser, you can paste tokens and private parameters without anything leaving your device.
Common encoded characters
| Character | Encoded |
|---|---|
| space | %20 |
| & | %26 |
| ? | %3F |
| = | %3D |
| / | %2F |
| # | %23 |
Frequently asked questions
- Why do I need to encode URLs?
- URLs can only contain a limited set of ASCII characters. URL encoding replaces unsafe characters — spaces, ampersands, question marks, non-Latin letters — with a '%' followed by two hexadecimal digits, so links and query strings don't break.
- What does this tool use under the hood?
- It uses the browser's standard encodeURIComponent and decodeURIComponent functions, the same ones developers use in JavaScript, so the results match what your code will produce.
- Is it safe to paste sensitive tokens?
- Yes. The tool works entirely in your browser and never transmits your data, so it's safe for access tokens, query parameters, and private URLs.
- What's the difference between encodeURI and encodeURIComponent?
- encodeURIComponent encodes a single value such as a query-string parameter and escapes characters like & = ? /. encodeURI is meant for an entire URL and leaves those structural characters intact. This tool encodes components, which is what you want for query values.
- Why is a space sometimes %20 and sometimes +?
- In the path of a URL a space becomes %20. In the query string of HTML form submissions, spaces are often encoded as +. Both decode back to a space; %20 is the safest, most universal choice.
- Does it handle non-English characters?
- Yes. Characters like é, ñ, and emoji are encoded as their UTF-8 byte sequences, so they survive being placed in a URL and decode back correctly.