About the URL Encoder / Decoder
Spaces, ampersands, slashes and non-English characters break URLs and query strings unless they’re percent-encoded. Encode text so it’s safe to put in a URL, or decode an encoded URL back to something readable.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I URL-encode a string?
Paste the text and choose Encode. Special characters become %XX codes.
How do I decode a URL?
Paste the encoded URL and choose Decode.
What does %20 mean in a URL?
It’s an encoded space. %2F is /, %3F is ?, %26 is &.
What is percent encoding?
A way to represent reserved or non-ASCII characters in URLs as % followed by two hex digits.
Should spaces be %20 or +?
%20 is correct everywhere; + means space only in form-encoded query strings.
Which characters need URL encoding?
Spaces, and characters like & = ? # / : % + and all non-ASCII characters when used inside values.
What is the difference between encodeURI and encodeURIComponent?
encodeURIComponent also encodes / ? & = and is the right choice for query parameter values.
Can I decode Urdu, Arabic or emoji URLs?
Yes, UTF-8 sequences are decoded back to the original characters.
Does the URL Encoder / Decoder send or save my data?
No, everything runs in your browser.
Is the URL Encoder / Decoder free to use?
Yes.