DevUtilityToolsDevUtilityTools

Free Online URL Encoder & Decoder

The simple, fast, and secure tool to percent-encode text into URL-safe strings or decode URLs back to readable text. Client-side processing with full Unicode support.

Ad Space
Text to Encode
0 chars0 B
URL-Encoded Output
Ad Space

What is URL Encoding?

URL encoding, officially known as percent-encoding, is a method of encoding data in a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI). URLs can only be sent over the internet using the ASCII character set. If a URL contains characters outside the ASCII set, or reserved characters that have special meaning within the URL structure, those characters must be converted.

URL encoding replaces unsafe ASCII characters with a % followed by two hexadecimal digits corresponding to the character’s ASCII value (e.g., a space becomes %20).

encodeURI vs encodeURIComponent

When encoding URLs in JavaScript, you have two primary methods, each serving a different purpose:

  • encodeURIComponent: Encodes almost all characters, including standard URL delimiters like /, ?, &, and =. Use this when you are encoding a value that will be inserted as a query parameter (e.g., ?name=encodedValue).
  • encodeURI: Encodes special characters but preserves characters that denote URL structure (like /, ?, &, and =). Use this when you are encoding a complete URL string and don’t want to break the routing path.

Common Use Cases

Query Parameters

Safely appending user-generated input (like search queries or names) into a URL without breaking the parameter chain.

API Requests

Formatting data precisely for REST APIs or webhooks where strict percent-encoded payloads are expected.

Sharing Links

Encoding complex URLs to share safely across email clients, social media, or chat apps without the link breaking prematurely.

Why Use This Tool?

  • Privacy First: Everything runs locally in your browser. We never see your data.
  • Advanced Options: Toggle between encodeURIComponent and encodeURI based on your specific needs.
  • Unicode Support: Safely handles emojis, non-Latin scripts, and complex UTF-8 byte sequences.
  • Instant Feedback: See the character count and payload size update in real-time.
Ad Space

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this URL Encoder/Decoder secure?

Yes, absolutely. All encoding and decoding operations happen entirely within your browser using JavaScript. No data is ever sent to our servers, ensuring your sensitive information remains private.

What is URL encoding (percent-encoding)?

URL encoding, also known as percent-encoding, is a mechanism for encoding information in a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI). It replaces unsafe ASCII characters with a '%' followed by two hexadecimal digits.

When should I use encodeURI vs encodeURIComponent?

Use encodeURI when you want to encode a complete URL; it leaves structural characters like '?', '&', '=', and '/' intact. Use encodeURIComponent when encoding a specific query parameter value, as it will encode all of these special characters so they don't break the URL structure.

Why did I get a malformed % sequence error?

This happens when you try to decode a string that contains a '%' character not followed by two valid hexadecimal digits, or an invalid UTF-8 byte sequence. Ensure the string you are decoding was properly URL-encoded.

Does it support emojis and Unicode?

Yes! This tool fully supports UTF-8 and Unicode characters. Emojis and non-Latin scripts are correctly converted to their byte representations and then percent-encoded, preventing data corruption.