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URL Encoder / Decoder

Encode or decode URL components for safe transmission in web requests.

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What is the URL Encoder / Decoder?

The URL Encoder/Decoder converts text to percent-encoded format (for safe use in URLs) and decodes percent-encoded strings back to readable text. URL encoding is critical whenever you need to include special characters, spaces, or non-ASCII characters in web addresses and query parameters.

The tool uses JavaScript's encodeURIComponent() for encoding, which is the gold standard for encoding individual URL components. It handles all special characters including spaces (%20), ampersands (%26), and Unicode characters.

How to Use This URL Encoder / Decoder

Encode or decode URLs instantly:

  1. Select 'Encode' or 'Decode' mode.
  2. Enter your text or encoded URL string.
  3. Click the button to see the result.
  4. Copy the output for use in your code or browser.

Common Use Cases for Developers

URL encoding is foundational to web development:

  • Query Parameters: Encode values before appending them to URL query strings to prevent breaking the URL structure.
  • API Requests: Ensure special characters in request parameters are properly escaped.
  • Form Data: Encode form values for application/x-www-form-urlencoded content type submissions.
  • Debugging: Decode URLs to inspect human-readable query parameter values.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is URL encoding?▼

URL encoding (percent encoding) replaces unsafe characters in URLs with a '%' followed by two hexadecimal digits. For example, a space becomes '%20'. This ensures URLs are valid and can be transmitted correctly.

When should I URL-encode data?▼

You should URL-encode data when constructing query parameters, form submissions, or any URL component that might contain special characters like spaces, ampersands, or non-ASCII characters.

What's the difference between encodeURI and encodeURIComponent?▼

encodeURI encodes a complete URI and preserves characters like ':', '/', '?'. encodeURIComponent encodes individual URI components and encodes ALL special characters. Our tool uses encodeURIComponent for maximum safety.

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