Use Cases

URL encoding and decoding are essential for web development and everyday internet use:

Encode Query Parameters
Safely include special characters like spaces, ampersands, and equals signs in URL query strings when building dynamic links.
Debug Encoded URLs from Logs
Quickly decode percent-encoded URLs from server logs to understand what URL was actually requested.
Fix Double-Encoded URLs
Identify and fix URLs with %2520 instead of %20 by detecting already-encoded input before encoding again.
Understand URL Structure
Learn which parts of a URL get encoded and when to use encodeURI vs encodeURIComponent with the visual breakdown.
Prepare Text for URL Parameters
Encode text with emoji and special characters to safely append to share URLs across all platforms.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between encodeURIComponent and encodeURI?: encodeURIComponent encodes all special characters including URL delimiters (/, ?, #). Use it for query parameter values. encodeURI preserves URL structure characters and is meant for encoding complete URLs.
Why do I see %20 instead of + for spaces?: We use %20 for spaces because it's more universally compatible. The + notation for spaces only works in query strings and can cause issues in other URL parts.
What is double encoding?: Double encoding happens when you encode an already-encoded string. For example, %20 (encoded space) becomes %2520. Our tool warns you when this might happen.
Is my data safe?: Yes! All encoding and decoding happens directly in your browser. Your data is never sent to any server.
Why doesn't decoding work on some strings?: Decoding fails when the input contains invalid percent-encoded sequences, like %GG (invalid hex) or a trailing % without two hex digits.