URL Encode / Decode
Percent-encode text for safe use in URLs, or decode encoded strings back to plain text. Free, UTF-8 safe, and private in your browser.
Percent-encode text so it's safe to place in a URL, or decode an encoded string back to plain text. It correctly handles spaces, ampersands, question marks, and Unicode characters. Everything is processed in your browser — nothing is uploaded.
How to use URL Encode / Decode
- Paste the text or encoded string you want to convert.
- Click "Encode" to make it URL-safe, or "Decode" to read it back.
- Copy the result with the "Copy" button.
Frequently asked questions
When do I need URL encoding?
Whenever you put text into a URL — such as query parameters or search terms — special characters like spaces, &, ?, and = must be percent-encoded so the URL is interpreted correctly.
What does %20 mean?
It's the percent-encoded form of a space. Encoding replaces unsafe characters with a % followed by their hexadecimal code so they can't break the URL.
Does it handle non-English characters?
Yes. Unicode characters are encoded using UTF-8 percent-encoding and decode back to the original text exactly.
Is my input private?
Yes. Encoding and decoding are done locally in your browser and never sent to a server.