What is URL encoding?

URL encoding (percent-encoding) replaces unsafe characters with a % followed by their hexadecimal value. For example, a space becomes %20 and an ampersand becomes %26. This ensures URLs are transmitted correctly across the internet.

What is the difference between URL and Component encoding?

URL encoding (encodeURI) preserves characters that are valid in a full URL like :, /, ?, and #. Component encoding (encodeURIComponent) encodes everything except letters, digits, and - _ . ~, making it suitable for individual query parameter values.

When should I use Component mode?

Use Component mode when encoding a value that will be placed inside a query parameter. For example, if the value itself contains & or = characters, component encoding will escape them so they are not misinterpreted as parameter separators.

Does this handle Unicode and international characters?

Yes. The encoder correctly handles UTF-8 characters including accented letters, CJK characters, emojis, and other non-ASCII text. Each byte of the UTF-8 representation is percent-encoded individually.

Is my data sent to a server?

No. All encoding and decoding happens entirely in your browser using the built-in JavaScript encodeURI, encodeURIComponent, decodeURI, and decodeURIComponent functions. No data leaves your device.

URL Encoder/Decoder

Encode and decode URL components and full URLs.

Encoding Mode

Input

Output

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About This Tool

Encode special characters in URLs using percent-encoding or decode percent-encoded strings back to readable text. Supports both full URL encoding (encodeURI) and component encoding (encodeURIComponent) for query parameters, path segments, and fragment identifiers. Essential for web developers building API requests, debugging query strings, and handling internationalized URLs with non-ASCII characters. All processing runs client-side in your browser.

How to Use

Paste your URL or text into the input area.
Choose between full URL or component encoding mode.
Click Encode or Decode, then Copy to copy the result.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is URL encoding?: URL encoding (percent-encoding) replaces unsafe characters with a % followed by their hexadecimal value. For example, a space becomes %20 and an ampersand becomes %26. This ensures URLs are transmitted correctly across the internet.
What is the difference between URL and Component encoding?: URL encoding (encodeURI) preserves characters that are valid in a full URL like :, /, ?, and #. Component encoding (encodeURIComponent) encodes everything except letters, digits, and - _ . ~, making it suitable for individual query parameter values.
When should I use Component mode?: Use Component mode when encoding a value that will be placed inside a query parameter. For example, if the value itself contains & or = characters, component encoding will escape them so they are not misinterpreted as parameter separators.
Does this handle Unicode and international characters?: Yes. The encoder correctly handles UTF-8 characters including accented letters, CJK characters, emojis, and other non-ASCII text. Each byte of the UTF-8 representation is percent-encoded individually.
Is my data sent to a server?: No. All encoding and decoding happens entirely in your browser using the built-in JavaScript encodeURI, encodeURIComponent, decodeURI, and decodeURIComponent functions. No data leaves your device.

URL Encoder/Decoder

About This Tool

How to Use

Frequently Asked Questions

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