URL Encoder / Decoder

What is URL Encoding?

URL encoding (also called percent-encoding) converts characters that are not allowed in a URL into a safe representation. Each unsafe character is replaced by a percent sign followed by two hexadecimal digits representing the character's ASCII code. For example, a space becomes %20 and an ampersand becomes %26.

How to Use the URL Encoder / Decoder

1. Paste your text or URL into the input field.
2. Choose Encode to convert it into a percent-encoded, URL-safe string.
3. Choose Decode to turn a percent-encoded string back into readable text.
4. Review the output, which updates as you work.
5. Copy the result into your link, query string, API request, or code.

Why is URL Encoding Necessary?

URLs can only contain a limited set of ASCII characters. Characters outside this set — such as spaces, accented letters, and symbols like &, =, and ? — have special meanings or are simply not allowed. Without encoding, these characters can break links, corrupt query strings, or prevent servers from parsing the request correctly.

Encode vs. Decode

• Encode — converts plain text into a percent-encoded URL-safe string. Use this when building query parameters or passing user input as part of a URL.
• Decode — converts a percent-encoded string back to readable text. Use this when inspecting a URL you received from a server or a log file.

Where URL Encoding Matters

Encoding comes up constantly in web development. When you build a search link, the search term entered by a user — which may contain spaces, ampersands, or accented letters — must be encoded before it is appended to the URL, otherwise the query string breaks. The same applies to API requests: a value passed in a query parameter has to be percent-encoded so the server parses it as a single value rather than as extra parameters. Tracking links, OAuth redirect URLs, and pre-filled form links all rely on correctly encoded components.

Decoding is the everyday counterpart. When you copy a URL from a browser address bar, an analytics report, or a server log, it is often littered with %20, %3D, and similar sequences that are hard to read. Decoding turns it back into legible text so you can see what the link actually points to. A frequent mistake is double-encoding — encoding a string that was already encoded, which turns %20into %2520. If a decoded URL still shows stray percent sequences, decode it a second time to recover the original.

Frequently Asked Questions