What is the URL Encoder / Decoder?
The URL Encoder and Decoder is a free online tool that safely converts special characters into URL-encoded format (Percent-encoding) so they can be safely transmitted over the internet. It also decodes complex URLs back into readable text.
Why do URLs need to be encoded?
The internet relies on URLs (Uniform Resource Locators) to find pages. According to web standards (RFC 3986), URLs can only be sent over the Internet using the standard ASCII character set. If a URL contains special characters (like spaces, question marks, or foreign letters), a web browser might break the link or misunderstand the destination. URL Encoding translates these unsafe characters into a safe, valid format.
How Percent-Encoding Works
URL encoding is often called \"Percent-encoding\" because it replaces unsafe characters with a '%' followed by two hexadecimal digits. For example, a simple space character is not allowed in a URL, so it is replaced with '%20'.
How to use this tool
- Select your desired mode: \"Encode URL\" or \"Decode URL\".
- Paste your web address, API endpoint, or text string into the left text box.
- The conversion happens automatically.
- Click Copy to copy the safe URL to your clipboard.