URL Encoder & Decoder - Free Percent Encoding Tool

How to URL Encode Text

1. Select the Encode tab at the top of the tool
2. Choose your encoding type - encodeURIComponent for query values or encodeURI for full URLs
3. Type or paste your text or URL into the input panel
4. The URL encoded output appears instantly in the output panel
5. Click Copy Encoded to copy the result to your clipboard

How to URL Decode a String

1. Select the Decode tab at the top of the tool
2. Paste your percent-encoded string into the input panel
3. The decoded plain text appears instantly in the output panel
4. The tool handles both %20 style and mixed encoded strings automatically
5. Click Copy Decoded to copy the result to your clipboard

How to Use the URL Analyzer

1. Scroll to the URL Analyzer section below the main tool
2. Paste any complete URL including the protocol (e.g. https://example.com/path?q=hello)
3. The tool instantly breaks the URL into protocol, host, port, path, query string, and fragment
4. All query parameters are listed individually with both their encoded and decoded values
5. Use this to debug malformed URLs or inspect API endpoint query strings

encodeURIComponent vs encodeURI - When to Use Which

encodeURIComponent should be used when encoding individual query parameter values (the text after the = sign in a URL). It encodes almost all characters including ?, =, &, and / to ensure they don't break the URL's structure.

encodeURI should be used when encoding a complete URL (like https://example.com/search?q=hello world). It intentionally leaves structural characters like ?, =, &, and / untouched, only encoding spaces and characters that are completely invalid in a URL.

Rule of thumb: if you are encoding a value that will go inside a query string parameter, use encodeURIComponent. If you are encoding an entire URL, use encodeURI.

URL Encode vs URL Decode - What's the Difference?

URL encoding takes plain text or a raw URL and converts any characters that are not allowed in a URL into a valid, safe percent-encoded format (like changing a space to %20).

URL decoding reverses the process. It takes a safe, percent-encoded string (like hello%20world) and converts the percentage format sequences back into their original plain text characters (like hello world).

Common Use Cases

Encode Query String Parameters Online

Query string parameters frequently contain characters like spaces, amps (&), and question marks (?). These characters must be converted into their safe percent-encoded equivalents (%20, %26, %3F) before they can be sent across the internet. These are the most common scenarios:

• Building API request URLs with user-supplied query parameters
• Encoding redirect URLs passed as query parameters (e.g., ?next=https%3A%2F%2F...)
• Debugging malformed URLs in server logs or API responses
• Creating shareable links with pre-filled search queries
• Safely passing email addresses, names, or messages in URL query strings
• Encoding data for use in HTML href attributes
• Analyzing and debugging complex URLs with many query parameters via the URL Analyzer

URL Encoding Reference Table

The most commonly encoded characters and their percent-encoded values:

URL Encoding in JavaScript, Python, and PHP

Every major programming language has a built-in function for URL encoding and decoding. If you are building an application, you should use these native functions instead of doing it manually:

JavaScript

// Encode a query parameter value
const param = encodeURIComponent("hello world & goodbye");
// → "hello%20world%20%26%20goodbye"

// Encode a full URL (preserves URL structure)
const url = encodeURI("https://example.com/search?q=hello world");
// → "https://example.com/search?q=hello%20world"

// Decode a percent-encoded string
const decoded = decodeURIComponent("hello%20world%20%26%20goodbye");
// → "hello world & goodbye"

Python

from urllib.parse import quote, quote_plus, unquote, urlencode

quote("hello world & goodbye")
# → "hello%20world%20%26%20goodbye"

quote_plus("hello world & goodbye")
# → "hello+world+%26+goodbye"

urlencode({"q": "hello world", "lang": "en"})
# → "q=hello+world&lang=en"

unquote("hello%20world%20%26%20goodbye")
# → "hello world & goodbye"

PHP

urlencode("hello world & goodbye");
// → "hello+world+%26+goodbye"

rawurlencode("hello world & goodbye");
// → "hello%20world%20%26%20goodbye"

urldecode("hello+world+%26+goodbye");
// → "hello world & goodbye"

rawurldecode("hello%20world%20%26%20goodbye");
// → "hello world & goodbye"

Key Features

• Real-time encoding and decoding - output updates instantly as you type
• Supports both encodeURIComponent (strict) and encodeURI (loose) encoding types
• Built-in URL Analyzer - breaks any URL into components and decodes all query parameters
• Character statistics - shows exactly how many characters were encoded and the resulting size change
• Sample data buttons for instant exploration of how the tool works
• Copy, paste, clear, and swap action buttons for rapid workflows
• Common URL encoding reference table with 15 frequently encoded characters
• Responsive design that works perfectly on all devices including mobile phones
• 100% free - no signup, no account, and no data uploaded to our servers