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Developer tool

URL Encoder & Decoder

Percent-encode text for URLs or decode percent-encoded values.

Free to use No sign-up Browser-based
Tool workspace

Use the tool

Privacy-conscious: this tool runs in your browser where practical, so your working input stays on your device unless the page explicitly says otherwise.

Continue your workflow

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Learn the workflow

URL Encoding vs Decoding: When Percent-Encoding Is Required

Understand percent-encoding, query strings and reserved characters so URLs keep their intended structure instead of breaking when values contain spaces or symbols.

Read guide →

What this tool does

Encode characters that need safe representation inside a URL component, or decode percent-encoded text back to a readable form. The tool offers component encoding rather than changing a whole URL blindly.

A full URL contains structural characters such as :, /, ?, & and =. Encoding an entire URL as one component can break that structure. Use this tool for individual parameter values, path fragments or strings that must be safely embedded inside another URL.

Useful for

  • Encode query-parameter values before constructing a request.
  • Decode copied URLs for debugging.
  • Inspect redirect parameters and nested URLs.

How to use it

  1. Choose Encode or Decode.
  2. Paste the component or encoded value.
  3. Run the conversion.
  4. Check the result in the context of the final URL before using it.

Worked examples

Encode a query value

Inputsummer sale & deals

Resultsummer%20sale%20%26%20deals

Spaces and the ampersand are encoded so the text can safely be used as one URL component.

Keep URL structure separate

Inputhttps://example.com/search?q=summer sale

ResultEncode only the q value, not the complete URL

Encoding the whole address would also encode structural characters such as : / ? and =.

Common mistakes to avoid

  • Encoding an entire complete URL when only a query value or path segment needs encoding.
  • Decoding a value repeatedly, which can turn intentionally encoded percent signs into new characters.
  • Assuming form-style plus signs and standard URI-component encoding always represent spaces in the same way.

Practical tips

  • Use component encoding for parameter values rather than an entire complete URL.
  • Do not decode untrusted input and then execute it as code.
  • Plus signs and spaces can behave differently in form encoding; this tool uses standard JavaScript URI component rules.
  • The input stays local to your browser.

Frequently asked questions

What does %20 mean?

It is the percent-encoded representation of a space in a URL component.

Should slashes be encoded?

If a slash is part of URL structure, usually not. If it belongs inside a parameter value, component encoding may encode it.

Can this fix a malformed URL automatically?

No. It converts encoding; it does not infer the intended structure of a broken URL.