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URL Encoder/Decoder Tool

Free online tool to encode and decode URLs safely. Perfect for web developers, API integration, and handling special characters in URLs.

URL Encoder/Decoder

Encode and decode URLs safely for web applications

Common Examples
Click on any example to try it out

Encoding Examples:

hello world
↓
hello%20world
Spaces become %20
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user@example.com
↓
user%40example.com
Special characters like @ get encoded
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search?q=javascript & coding
↓
search%3Fq%3Djavascript%20%26%20coding
Query parameters and symbols
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café résumé
↓
caf%C3%A9%20r%C3%A9sum%C3%A9
Unicode characters
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path/to/file.pdf
↓
path%2Fto%2Ffile.pdf
File paths with forward slashes
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When to Use URL Encoding

Common Use Cases:

  • • API query parameters
  • • Form data submission
  • • Email addresses in URLs
  • • File paths with spaces
  • • Search queries
  • • Social media sharing

Characters That Need Encoding:

  • • Spaces, punctuation
  • • Special symbols (@, &, ?, =)
  • • Unicode characters
  • • HTML entities
  • • Reserved URL characters

🛠️ Related Tools

Why Use URL Encoding?

URL encoding (also called percent encoding) is essential for web development because it converts special characters into a format that can be safely transmitted over the internet. When you include spaces, symbols, or non-ASCII characters in URLs, they need to be encoded to prevent errors.

Common Problems This Tool Solves:

  • Broken API Calls: Special characters in query parameters can break API requests
  • Form Submission Issues: Spaces and symbols in form data need proper encoding
  • Email Link Problems: Email addresses with special characters must be encoded
  • Search Query Errors: Search terms with spaces or symbols need encoding
  • File Path Issues: File names with spaces cause download problems
  • Social Sharing Problems: URLs with special characters break on social media

How URL Encoding Works:

URL encoding replaces unsafe ASCII characters with a "%" followed by two hexadecimal digits. For example, a space character becomes %20, an ampersand (&) becomes %26, and a question mark (?) becomes %3F.

When to Use This Tool:

  • Building REST API endpoints with query parameters
  • Creating HTML forms that submit data via GET requests
  • Generating shareable links with dynamic content
  • Debugging URL-related issues in web applications
  • Preparing data for AJAX requests
  • Creating email marketing campaigns with tracking parameters

Features of Our Tool:

  • ✓ Instant encoding and decoding
  • ✓ Handles Unicode characters correctly
  • ✓ Validates encoding results
  • ✓ Provides helpful examples
  • ✓ Works offline once loaded
  • ✓ Free and no registration required
  • ✓ Mobile-friendly interface

Frequently Asked Questions

What is URL encoding and why is it needed?

URL encoding converts special characters into a format that can be safely transmitted over the internet. It's needed because URLs can only contain certain characters, and special characters like spaces, symbols, and non-ASCII characters must be encoded.

When should I encode URLs?

You should encode URLs when they contain spaces, special characters, or non-ASCII characters. This is especially important for query parameters, form data, and dynamic URLs generated by applications.

Is this tool safe to use with sensitive data?

Yes, this tool runs entirely in your browser and doesn't send any data to external servers. However, avoid using it with highly sensitive information like passwords or personal data.

What's the difference between URL encoding and HTML encoding?

URL encoding is used for URLs and query parameters, while HTML encoding is used for displaying special characters in HTML content. They serve different purposes and use different encoding schemes.

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