URL Encoder & Decoder

How to use the URL Encoder & Decoder

1. 1Choose the scope. Encode a whole URL, or just one query value that sits inside one.
2. 2Paste and read. The result updates as you type, in both directions.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between encoding a URL and a component?

Encoding a whole URL preserves the characters that give it structure, such as the slashes and the question mark. Encoding a component escapes those too, which is what you want for a value going inside a query parameter.

Why do spaces sometimes become %20 and sometimes a plus sign?

Percent encoding turns a space into %20. The plus sign comes from HTML form submission, which uses a slightly different encoding for the query string. Both appear in the wild, so decoders must expect either.

Which characters actually need encoding?

Everything outside letters, digits and a small set of marks such as hyphen, underscore, dot and tilde. Reserved characters like the ampersand, equals sign, slash and question mark must be escaped when they appear inside a value.

Does this handle accents and emoji?

Yes. Characters outside ASCII are converted to UTF-8 bytes first and then percent encoded, which is what the URL standard requires and what servers expect.

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