URL encoding converts special characters into a format safe for web URLs. Spaces become %20, & becomes %26, = becomes %3D. Example: 'Hello World!' becomes 'Hello%20World%21'. URL decoding reverses this. Used by web developers, API developers, and anyone working with web links.
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🔗 URL Encoder / Decoder
Encode text to URL-safe format or decode URL-encoded text back to readable text. Essential for web developers, API users, and anyone working with web links and query strings.
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🤔 How Does This Work?
URL encoding uses the percent-encoding standard defined in RFC 3986:
Each unsafe character is replaced by a % followed by its two-digit hexadecimal ASCII code
Space (ASCII 32) becomes %20
Ampersand & (ASCII 38) becomes %26
Equals = (ASCII 61) becomes %3D
Letters, digits, and - _ . ~ are left unchanged (URL-safe characters)
Our encoder uses JavaScript's encodeURIComponent() which encodes all special characters. Our decoder uses decodeURIComponent() to reverse the process.
✅ Trusted Tool
The 365tool.net URL Encoder/Decoder processes all text entirely in your browser. Your text is never sent to any server. Free for web developers, API developers, and anyone working with URLs. No sign-up needed.
❓ FAQ
What is URL encoding?▼
URL encoding (also called percent encoding) converts characters that are not allowed in URLs into a safe format. Spaces become %20, & becomes %26, special characters like #, ?, = are also encoded. This ensures URLs work correctly in all browsers.
Why do URLs have %20 in them?▼
Spaces are not allowed in URLs. When a URL contains a space, it must be encoded as %20 (the hexadecimal ASCII code for space). Modern browsers often display the space back to you, but the actual URL contains %20.
What is the difference between encodeURI and encodeURIComponent?▼
encodeURI encodes a full URL — it preserves characters like /, ?, &, = that have special meaning in URLs. encodeURIComponent encodes everything including those special characters — used for encoding individual parameters/values within a URL.
When do I need to encode a URL?▼
You need URL encoding when: sending text data in URL query parameters, embedding URLs in HTML, working with APIs, or when your URL contains spaces or special characters like &, =, +, #, or non-ASCII characters.
How do I decode a URL I found online?▼
Paste the URL-encoded text into our decoder and click Decode URL. It will convert %20 back to spaces, %26 back to &, and all other percent-encoded characters back to their original form.