URL Encoder/Decoder
Encode text for safe URL use or decode percent-encoded URLs. Handles full Unicode including emoji. All processing runs locally in your browser — nothing is stored or transmitted.
🔒 All processing happens locally in your browser — nothing is stored or sent to any server.
All processing happens locally in your browser — nothing is stored or sent to any server.
How to Use This URL Encoder/Decoder
- Encode: Enter any URL or text and click Encode to get a URL-safe percent-encoded string.
- Decode: Switch to Decode mode, paste an encoded URL, and click Decode to get the human-readable version.
- The tool shows character count and encoding size stats for both modes.
- Press Ctrl+Enter to process — or just paste and it auto-processes.
About URL Encoding
URLs can only be sent over the Internet using the ASCII character set. Since URLs often contain non-ASCII characters (like emoji or accented letters), they must be converted to a valid ASCII format. URL encoding replaces unsafe ASCII characters with a % followed by two hexadecimal digits. For example, a space () becomes %20 and the euro symbol (€) becomes %E2%82%AC.
Query string parameters are the most common place to need URL encoding. If you search for "hello world!" the ? and ! must be encoded: /search?q=hello%20world%21. This tool uses encodeURIComponent which safely encodes everything that needs encoding, including path segments, query values, and fragment identifiers.
This tool also validates decoded input strictly. If the encoded string contains invalid percent-sequences (like %ZZ or a lone %), it shows a clear error instead of silently returning wrong data. All processing is done locally in your browser using JavaScript's built-in encoding functions.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is URL encoding? ▼
URL encoding (also called percent-encoding) converts characters into a format safe for transmission in URLs. Special characters like spaces, <code>&</code>, <code>=</code>, <code>?</code>, and <code>/</code> are replaced with <code>%</code> followed by their ASCII hex value. For example, a space becomes <code>%20</code> and <code>&</code> becomes <code>%26</code>.
When should I encode a URL? ▼
Encode URLs when you need to include special characters in a query string, path segment, or fragment. For example, <code>https://example.com/search?q=hello world</code> should be encoded as <code>https://example.com/search?q=hello%20world</code>. Always encode user input that might contain spaces or special characters before building URLs.
What is the difference between encodeURI and encodeURIComponent? ▼
<code>encodeURI</code> preserves URL structural characters (<code>, / ? : @ & = + $ - _ . ! ~ * ' ( ) #</code>) and only encodes everything else. <code>encodeURIComponent</code> encodes everything, including those structural characters. This tool uses <code>encodeURIComponent</code> so it works for both full URLs and individual query parameter values.
Is my data sent to a server? ▼
No. All processing happens 100% in your browser using JavaScript's built-in <code>encodeURIComponent</code> and <code>decodeURIComponent</code> functions. Nothing is uploaded, transmitted, or stored. You can even use this tool offline.
Can I encode Unicode characters like emoji? ▼
Yes. This tool handles full UTF-8 Unicode. Characters like emoji, CJK characters, and accented letters are correctly encoded as multiple <code>%XX</code> sequences. For example, <code>hello 🌍</code> becomes <code>hello%20%F0%9F%8C%8D</code>.
How do I decode a URL? ▼
Paste the encoded URL into the input area, make sure Decode mode is selected, and click Decode. Invalid percent-encoding sequences will show an error message rather than silently producing wrong output.
What's the difference between URL encoding and Base64 encoding? ▼
URL encoding is for making text safe to include in URLs (it converts special characters to <code>%XX</code> sequences). Base64 is for converting arbitrary binary data into ASCII text (it uses a 64-character alphabet). URL encoding preserves readability of the original text; Base64 does not. Use URL encoding for query parameters; use Base64 for binary data embedded in text formats.