URL Encoder & Decoder - Encode and Decode URLs Online
Encode URLs and query parameters to make them safe for transmission, or decode encoded URLs back to their original form. Essential for web development, API integration, and handling special characters in URLs.
Why Use URL Encoding?
- Safe Transmission: Handle special characters in URLs
- Query Parameters: Pass complex data in URL strings
- API Requests: Properly format API endpoint parameters
- Standards Compliant: Follow RFC 3986 URL encoding
Common Use Cases
🔗 API Calls
Encode parameters for GET requests and API endpoints.
🔍 Search Queries
Encode search terms with special characters.
📋 Forms
Handle form data submission in URLs.
🌐 Internationalization
Encode non-ASCII characters in URLs.
How to Use This Tool
- Select Mode: Choose "Encode" or "Decode" and encoding type (Full URL or Component).
- Enter URL: Paste your URL or text to encode/decode.
- Get Result: Conversion happens automatically - copy the result.
💡 Tip: Use "Component" mode for query parameters and "Full URL" for complete URLs.
URL Encoder / Decoder
Component encoding is more aggressive and suitable for query parameters
Understanding URL Encoding
URL encoding (also called percent encoding) converts characters into a format that can be transmitted over the Internet. Special characters are replaced with a percent sign (%) followed by hexadecimal digits.
Characters That Need Encoding
Reserved Characters:
- : (colon) → %3A
- / (slash) → %2F
- ? (question mark) → %3F
- # (hash) → %23
- & (ampersand) → %26
- = (equals) → %3D
Special Characters:
- Space → %20 or +
- @ (at sign) → %40
- % (percent) → %25
- " (quotes) → %22
- < > → %3C %3E
Example Conversions
Original:
https://example.com/search?q=hello world&category=books
Encoded (Component):
https%3A%2F%2Fexample.com%2Fsearch%3Fq%3Dhello%20world%26category%3Dbooks
Query Parameter Only:
hello%20world
URL Encoding vs URI Encoding
- encodeURIComponent(): Encodes all special characters except:
- _ . ! ~ * ' ( ) - encodeURI(): Preserves URL structure characters like
: / ? # [ ] @ ! $ & ' ( ) * + , ; = - Use encodeURIComponent() for query parameters
- Use encodeURI() for complete URLs
Common Pitfalls
- Don't double-encode already encoded URLs
- Space can be encoded as %20 or + (depending on context)
- Plus sign (+) should be encoded as %2B in query parameters
- Always encode user input before adding to URLs
Related Tools
- Base64 Encoder - Encode data in Base64 format
- HTML Encoder - Encode HTML entities
- UTM Builder - Create campaign tracking URLs