URL Encoder / Decoder
Encode and decode URLs and text for safe web transmission. Convert special characters to URL-friendly formats and vice versa.
About URL Encoder / Decoder
The URL Encoder/Decoder tool is a simple online utility that allows you to either encode or decode a string of text. This is particularly useful when you need to turn a string into a valid URL format or decode a URL back into a readable string.
How to Use
- Encode: Enter your text or URL in the input box and click the "Encode URL" button. The tool will convert special characters into their percent-encoded equivalents.
- Decode: Enter an encoded URL in the input box and click the "Decode URL" button. The tool will convert percent-encoded characters back to their original form.
Common Use Cases
- Preparing data for use in URL query parameters.
- Debugging URLs that contain special characters.
- Cleaning up messy URLs copied from emails or documents.
- Ensuring URLs are safe for transmission over the internet.
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PopularFrequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about using our URL Encoder / Decoder tool effectively
What is URL encoding?
URL encoding (or percent-encoding) is a mechanism for encoding information in a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI). It converts characters into a format that can be transmitted over the Internet.
Why do I need to encode URLs?
URLs can only be sent over the Internet using the ASCII character-set. Since URLs often contain characters outside the ASCII set, the URL has to be converted into a valid ASCII format. URL encoding replaces unsafe ASCII characters with a '%' followed by two hexadecimal digits.
What characters are unsafe in a URL?
Unsafe characters include space, quotes, less than (<), greater than (>), pound (#), percent (%), curly braces ({}), pipe (|), backslash (\), caret (^), tilde (~), square brackets ([]), and grave accent (`).
What is the difference between encodeURI and encodeURIComponent?
encodeURI is used to encode a complete URL, preserving protocol prefixes (http://) and other special characters used in the URL. encodeURIComponent is used to encode a URI component (like a query parameter) and encodes special characters including /, :, and &.
Is this tool free to use?
Yes, this URL Encoder/Decoder tool is 100% free to use and works directly in your browser. No data is sent to our servers.