URL Encode & Decode
Encode special characters for URLs or decode percent-encoded strings back to readable text.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is URL encoding?
URL encoding (also called percent-encoding) converts special characters into a format that can be safely transmitted in URLs. Characters like spaces, &, =, ?, and non-ASCII characters are replaced with a % followed by their hexadecimal value. For example, a space becomes %20.
What is the difference between encodeURI and encodeURIComponent?
encodeURI() encodes a complete URI, preserving characters like :, /, ?, #, &, and =. encodeURIComponent() encodes everything except letters, digits, and - _ . ~ making it suitable for encoding individual query parameters or path segments.
When should I use URL encoding?
Use URL encoding when passing special characters in query strings, form data, path segments, or any part of a URL that might contain spaces or special characters. Most programming languages and frameworks handle this automatically.