URL Encoder and Decoder

Encode text so it is safe to put in a URL, or decode a percent-encoded URL back into something readable. Works on full URLs or individual parameter values.

Runs entirely in your browser — nothing is uploaded

Mode

Scope

Escapes everything special, including / ? and &. Use this for a single query parameter value.

Input

Encoded output

How to use this tool

Paste the text or URL you want to convert.
Choose Encode or Decode.
Copy the result.

What is URL Encoder / Decoder?

URLs may only contain a limited set of characters. Anything else — spaces, accents, ampersands inside a value, most punctuation — has to be percent-encoded, which is why you see things like %20 and %C3%A9 in links.

You need encoding when building URLs with user input or query parameters, and decoding when reading a URL from a log or an analytics report and trying to work out what it actually said.

Best practices

Encode parameter values, not the whole URL — encoding the slashes and colons breaks it.
Watch for double-encoding: %2520 means a %20 was encoded twice.
Spaces become %20 in paths but may appear as + in query strings; both are common.
Always encode user-supplied text before putting it into a URL, both for correctness and safety.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between encoding a full URL and a component?

Encoding a component escapes everything special, including / and ?, which is right for a parameter value. Encoding a full URL leaves the structural characters alone so the URL still works.

Why do I see %2520 in a URL?

That is a double-encoded space: the space became %20, and then the % itself was encoded to %25. It usually means a value was encoded twice by two different parts of a system.