URL encode and decode
Percent-encode text for URLs or decode it back. Runs entirely in your browser.
Runs 100% in your browserHow to URL encode or decode
- Choose a mode. Encode to percent-encode text, or Decode to reverse it.
- Enter your text. Paste the value or encoded string; the output updates live.
- Copy the result. Click Copy to use it in your URL.
About URL encoding
URLs may only contain a limited set of characters, so anything else — spaces, accents, ampersands, emoji — must be percent-encoded. This is essential when building query strings by hand, debugging redirect chains, or passing structured values through a URL. The text is encoded as UTF-8 first, so international characters survive the round trip.
Frequently asked questions
- URL (percent) encoding replaces characters that are unsafe or reserved in a URL with a percent sign followed by their hex code — for example a space becomes
%20. It lets you safely put arbitrary text in query strings and paths. - This tool uses
encodeURIComponent, which encodes characters like& ? / =too — correct when encoding a single query-parameter value.encodeURIleaves those intact for encoding a whole URL. - In query strings,
+historically means a space. This decoder converts+to a space before decoding, matching how form data is read. - Yes — it uses the native encodeURIComponent/decodeURIComponent functions locally. Nothing is sent anywhere.