URL Encode & Decode

Encode special characters for URLs or decode percent-encoded strings. Runs entirely in your browser.

URL Encoding Explained

URL encoding (also called percent-encoding) is the process of replacing unsafe characters in a URL with a % sign followed by their hexadecimal ASCII value. This is essential when building query strings, submitting form data, or working with APIs that require special characters to be properly escaped.

Common Use Cases

Developers use URL encoding when constructing API requests with query parameters, handling user input in URLs, working with internationalized domain names, and debugging encoded URLs in server logs. This tool handles both encoding and decoding with a single click.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is URL encoding?

URL encoding replaces unsafe characters with a % followed by their hexadecimal value. For example, a space becomes %20 and an @ sign becomes %40.

When do I need to URL encode?

Whenever you pass special characters in query parameters, form data, or any URL component that contains spaces, symbols, or non-ASCII characters.

Which characters get encoded?

Spaces, @, #, $, &, +, /, and non-ASCII characters are encoded. Letters, numbers, and -_.~ are left unchanged.