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URL Encoder / Decoder

Encode or decode URLs and query parameters for proper web transmission.

Input

Output

What Is URL Encoding?

URL encoding, also known as percent encoding, is a mechanism for encoding information in a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI). It converts characters that are not allowed in URLs into a format that can be safely transmitted over the internet. Our free URL encoder online runs entirely in your browser for instant, private conversions.

Why URLs Need Encoding

URLs can only contain a limited set of ASCII characters — letters, digits, and a few special characters like - _ . ~. Characters outside this set must be encoded to ensure proper transmission. A URL decoder reverses this process, converting percent-encoded sequences back to their original characters.

Common Characters That Break URLs

Spaces

Spaces in URLs are encoded as %20. They should never appear raw in a URL.

Ampersand (&)

Used to separate query parameters. Must be encoded as %26 when part of parameter values.

Question Mark (?)

Reserved for the query string separator. Encoded as %3F in path segments.

Equals Sign (=)

Used for key-value pairs in query strings. Encoded as %3D in values.

Real-World Usage

API Requests — Encode special characters in GET request query parameters to ensure correct server-side parsing.
Query Parameters — Build URLs with properly encoded parameter names and values for web applications.
Web Forms — Form data submitted via GET is URL-encoded automatically — decode it to inspect submissions.
OAuth & Authentication — Encode callback URLs and state parameters in authentication flows.
International URLs — Encode non-ASCII characters (UTF-8) for URLs containing non-Latin scripts or symbols.

How to Encode & Decode URLs

To encode a URL, paste your text into the input field and click Encode URI. The tool will convert special characters to their percent-encoded equivalents. To decode a URL, paste an encoded string and click Decode URI. You can also use Parse Query String to extract and display key-value pairs from a query string. Use the Copy button to copy the result to your clipboard.

URL encoding, also called percent-encoding, converts characters that are not permitted in URLs into a safe %XX hex format. Spaces become %20, ampersands become %26, hashes become %23, and non-ASCII characters are encoded as multi-byte sequences. This encoding is essential because URLs have strict character rules — certain characters like space, &, and # have special meanings in URL syntax and will break links or cause incorrect parsing if left unencoded. Modern web frameworks handle URL encoding automatically in most cases, but developers regularly need to encode/decode manually when working with query parameters, building API requests, debugging HTTP traffic, or passing complex values in URL segments.

How to Do This in Code

const encoded = encodeURIComponent('hello world');
const decoded = decodeURIComponent(encoded);

from urllib.parse import quote, unquote
encoded = quote('hello world')
decoded = unquote(encoded)

import "net/url"

encoded := url.QueryEscape("hello world")
decoded, _ := url.QueryUnescape(encoded)

echo "hello world" | xxd -plain | sed "s/\(..\)/%\1/g"

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URL Encoder / Decoder FAQ

Why URL-encode?

URL encoding converts characters that are not allowed in URLs (like spaces, &, #) into %-encoded format so they transmit safely.

What characters need encoding?

Spaces become %20, & becomes %26, # becomes %23, and other non-ASCII characters are encoded as %XX in hex.