URL Encoder & Decoder
Encode and decode URLs and URI components instantly in your browser. Free and private — no data sent to a server. No account needed.
URL Encoder / Decoder
Safely encode URLs for HTTP parameters or decode them back to readable text.
What is URL Encoding?
URL encoding (also called percent-encoding) is the process of converting characters that are not allowed in URLs into a safe ASCII format. URLs can only contain a limited set of characters — letters, numbers, and a few symbols. Everything else must be encoded as a percent sign followed by a two-digit hexadecimal code.
For example, a space becomes %20, an ampersand becomes %26, and an equals sign becomes %3D. This ensures query parameters and other URL components are transmitted correctly without being misinterpreted as structural URL characters.
How to Use the URL Encoder & Decoder
Paste your URL or text
Paste the URL, query parameter value, or raw text you want to encode or decode into the input field.
Choose Encode or Decode
Select whether you want to encode raw text into percent-encoded format, or decode a percent-encoded string back to readable text.
Copy the result
Click the copy button to copy the encoded or decoded output to your clipboard.
Use in your code or request
Paste the result directly into your API call, curl command, HTML href, or application code.
Common Encoded Characters
Alphanumeric characters (A-Z, a-z, 0-9) and a few unreserved characters (-, _, ., ~) remain untouched. Most other symbols are converted.
| Character | Description | URL Encoded Form |
|---|---|---|
| Space | Space bar | %20 |
| ! | Exclamation mark | %21 |
| # | Number sign / Hash | %23 |
| $ | Dollar sign | %24 |
| % | Percent sign | %25 |
| & | Ampersand | %26 |
| ? | Question mark | %3F |
| = | Equals sign | %3D |
Who Is This For?
- ▸ Developers building URLs programmatically who need to encode query parameter values before appending them to an API endpoint or redirect URI.
- ▸ QA engineers testing URLs with special characters — spaces, accented characters, or symbols — who need to verify the encoded form before running automated tests.
- ▸ Anyone debugging a URL with unexpected percent-encoded characters — decode a mangled URL to quickly see what the original values were.
Key Benefits
- ✓ Runs entirely in your browser — your URLs and parameter values never leave your device.
- ✓ Free with no subscription — no account, no paywall, no usage limits.
- ✓ No account required — open the page and start encoding immediately.
- ✓ Encode and decode in one tool — switch between directions instantly without visiting a separate page.
Common URL Encoding Mistakes
- Not encoding the path and query separately: Path segments and query string values have different reserved character sets. A slash
/is valid in a path but must be encoded as%2Finside a query parameter value. UsingencodeURIvsencodeURIComponentmatters here. - Double-encoding already-encoded URLs: Encoding a URL that already contains
%20produces%2520(the%itself gets encoded). Always decode first if you are unsure whether a URL is already encoded. - Forgetting that space encodes differently in paths vs query strings: In URL query strings, a space can be encoded as either
+(HTML form encoding) or%20(RFC 3986). In URL paths, only%20is valid —+is treated as a literal plus sign. - Not handling Unicode characters: Non-ASCII characters (emoji, accented letters, CJK characters) must first be UTF-8 encoded, then each byte must be percent-encoded. Encoding the raw Unicode code point directly produces invalid URLs.
For encoding binary data to be embedded in URLs, the Base64 encoder with URL-safe mode produces compact output. When encoding text that will be inserted into HTML attributes alongside URL encoding, the HTML entity encoder handles the HTML layer separately.
Further reading: RFC 3986 — URI Syntax (IETF)
Common Use Cases
You are building an OAuth redirect URI and the callback URL contains colons and slashes. Encode the entire callback URL before appending it as a query parameter so the server receives it as a single value rather than parsing it as part of the URL structure.
You received a webhook payload where a URL parameter looks like search%3Fq%3Dhello%20world. Paste it into the decoder to instantly see the original value and understand what was sent.
You are writing a curl command in a shell script and the API key or token contains special characters. Encode it first to prevent the shell from misinterpreting the characters.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is URL encoding?
URL encoding (also called percent-encoding) is the process of converting characters that are not allowed in URLs into a safe format. Spaces, ampersands, equals signs, and other special characters are replaced with a percent sign followed by their hexadecimal code — a space becomes %20, an ampersand becomes %26. This ensures the URL can be transmitted correctly over the internet.
Is this tool free?
Yes — completely free with no account required. The URL encoder and decoder runs entirely in your browser. Your URLs and parameters are never sent to a server.
What is the difference between encodeURI and encodeURIComponent?
encodeURI encodes a full URL and preserves structural characters like /, ?, #, and & because they are part of the URL structure. encodeURIComponent encodes a single value within a URL and encodes everything including those structural characters. Use encodeURIComponent for query parameter values — for example, when a parameter value itself contains an ampersand or equals sign.
Why does my URL have %20 in it?
Spaces are not allowed in URLs. When a browser or application encounters a space in a URL, it automatically encodes it as %20. This is standard behavior, not an error. If you are building a URL programmatically, always encode query parameter values before adding them to the URL string.
What happens if a URL is not encoded?
If a URL contains unencoded special characters like spaces or raw ampersands in a query parameter, the receiving server will likely misparse the request. It breaks the string at the first unencoded special character, resulting in a truncated payload, authentication failure, or HTTP 400 Bad Request error.
Which characters do not need to be URL encoded?
Alphanumeric characters (A-Z, a-z, 0-9) and four unreserved characters — hyphen -, underscore _, period ., and tilde ~ — are safe in URLs and do not need encoding. All other characters, including spaces, slashes, question marks, and equals signs, should be encoded when used as data values in query strings.
The calculators on The Simple Toolbox are for educational and planning purposes only. Results are estimates based on your inputs and standard assumptions — they are not financial, legal, or tax advice. Consult a qualified professional before making significant financial decisions.
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