URL Encoder / Decoder
Encode special characters for use in URLs, or decode percent-encoded strings back to plain text.
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URL Encoding Reference
Common percent-encoded characters:
- Space → %20 (or + in form data)
- / → %2F
- ? → %3F
- & → %26
- = → %3D
- # → %23
- @ → %40
Frequently Asked Questions
When do I need to encode a URL?
You need to encode URLs when they contain special characters such as spaces, &, =, ?, #, or non-ASCII characters like accented letters. These characters have special meaning in URLs and must be percent-encoded (e.g. space becomes %20) to be safely transmitted.
What is the difference between encodeURI and encodeURIComponent?
encodeURI encodes a complete URL and preserves characters that are meaningful in URL syntax (/ : ? & = # @). encodeURIComponent encodes a URL component (like a query value) and also encodes / : ? & = #, making it suitable for encoding parameter values.
What does %20 mean in a URL?
The %20 sequence is the percent-encoded representation of a space character (ASCII code 32, which is 0x20 in hex). Similarly, %3A is a colon, %2F is a slash, and %40 is an @ symbol.