URL Encoder & Decoder Online
Encode or decode URLs to ensure they are properly formatted for web transmission.
▶About URL Encoding
URL encoding (also known as percent-encoding) converts characters into a format safe for transmission in URLs. Since URLs can only contain ASCII characters, any special characters, spaces, or non-ASCII text must be encoded using a percent sign (%) followed by two hex digits.
This free online URL encoder and decoder handles both standard percent-encoding and component encoding. It correctly processes UTF-8 characters including Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, and emoji, making it ideal for internationalised URLs.
Common use cases: encoding query parameters for REST API requests, decoding percent-encoded URLs from server logs or analytics tools, preparing text for safe inclusion in URL paths and fragments, and debugging double-encoded or malformed URLs.
▶Frequently Asked Questions
▶What is URL encoding (percent encoding)?
URL encoding replaces unsafe characters in a URL with a percent sign (%) followed by two hexadecimal digits. For example, a space becomes %20 and an ampersand becomes %26.
▶When should I URL encode a string?
You should URL encode any string that will be used as a query parameter, path segment, or fragment — especially if it contains spaces, special characters (&, =, ?, #), or non-ASCII characters like Chinese or emoji.
▶What is the difference between encodeURI and encodeURIComponent?
encodeURI encodes a full URL but preserves characters like :, /, ?, and #. encodeURIComponent encodes everything except A-Z, a-z, 0-9, and a few symbols, making it suitable for encoding individual query parameter values.
▶Can this tool decode double-encoded URLs?
Yes. If your URL has been encoded multiple times (e.g., %2520 instead of %20), you can decode it repeatedly until you get the original text.