URL Encoder / Decoder
Encode special characters for safe use in URLs, or decode an encoded URL back to readable text.
What is URL encoding?
URLs can only safely contain a limited set of characters. Spaces, ampersands, and other special characters need to be converted into a percent-encoded format (like %20 for a space) so they don't get misread as part of the URL's structure — for example, an unencoded & in a query value could be mistaken for the start of a new parameter.
Frequently asked questions
When do I need to encode a URL?
Whenever a URL or query parameter might contain spaces, special characters, or non-English characters — for example, building a search URL that includes user-typed text.
Why does decoding sometimes show an error?
This happens if the text isn't validly encoded — for example, a stray % not followed by two valid hex digits. Double-check you're decoding text that was actually URL-encoded.