URL Encoder & Decoder
Encode or decode URL components for safe use in web addresses.
About This Tool
URL Encoder/Decoder is a free online tool that converts text to percent-encoded URL format or decodes percent-encoded strings back to readable text — instantly, in your browser. It uses JavaScript's encodeURIComponent, which follows RFC 3986 to safely encode spaces, ampersands, equals signs, and all other characters that have special meaning in URLs.
URL encoding is necessary whenever you pass special characters in query string parameters, form POST bodies, OAuth redirect URIs, or API request paths. The decoder is equally useful for inspecting encoded URLs from browser address bars, API logs, or web scrapers to understand what data is actually being transmitted.
This tool is regularly used by web developers debugging API requests and query parameters, backend engineers validating OAuth or redirect URI encoding, and anyone building or testing web forms with special characters in user input. It is a simple, no-frills utility that solves a precise, recurring problem.
How to Use
- 1
Paste your text or URL into the input field.
- 2
Click Encode to percent-encode special characters, or Decode to convert percent-encoded strings back.
- 3
Copy the result with the copy button.
- 4
Use the encoded output in a URL query string, form POST body, or API request parameter.
- 5
Paste a percent-encoded URL (e.g., from a browser address bar) to decode it into readable text.
Features
RFC 3986 Compliant
Uses JavaScript's encodeURIComponent for standard percent-encoding compliant with RFC 3986.
Encode & Decode
Easily switch between encoding plain text to a URL-safe format and decoding encoded strings.
Handles Special Characters
Correctly encodes spaces, ampersands, equals signs, and other characters that are unsafe in URLs.
Instant Processing
Encoding and decoding happens instantly in your browser with no server requests.
Common use cases
- ›Encode special characters in query string parameters before appending them to a URL.
- ›Decode percent-encoded URLs from browser address bars, API logs, or redirect chains.
- ›Prepare URL-safe values for OAuth redirect_uri, state, or code parameters.
- ›Debug encoded form submissions or POST body parameters in web development and testing.
FAQ
When do I need URL encoding?
When passing special characters (spaces, &, =, etc.) in URL parameters or query strings.
What encoding standard is used?
Standard percent-encoding (RFC 3986) via JavaScript's encodeURIComponent function.
What is the difference between encodeURI and encodeURIComponent?
encodeURIComponent encodes all non-alphanumeric characters except -_.!~*'(), making it suitable for encoding individual query parameter values. encodeURI leaves characters like '/', '?', and '#' intact for full URL encoding.
Why does a space become %20 or +?
RFC 3986 percent-encoding represents a space as %20. In application/x-www-form-urlencoded (HTML form submissions), a space is encoded as '+'. This tool uses %20 (RFC 3986 standard).
Can I decode full URLs with this tool?
Yes. Paste any percent-encoded URL or string and click Decode to see the human-readable version. Useful for debugging API requests, OAuth redirects, or obfuscated query strings.