How do I encode or decode URLs online?
Encoding and decoding URLs online is simple with this free tool.
To Encode Text for URLs:
- Select the "Encode" tab
- Enter your text or URL in the input field
- The URL-encoded result appears instantly
- Click the copy button to use it in your application
To Decode URL-Encoded Text:
- Select the "Decode" tab
- Paste your URL-encoded string
- The decoded plain text appears instantly
- Click the copy button to copy the result
Features of This Tool:
- Real-time encoding/decoding as you type
- Handles UTF-8 characters properly (emojis, accented letters, etc.)
- Shows both space encodings (%20 and +)
- Character count for input and output
- Copy-to-clipboard functionality
- All processing happens in your browser
- Automatic error handling
Common Encoding Scenarios:
Query Parameters:
Original: search term with spaces
Encoded: search%20term%20with%20spaces
Usage: ?q=search%20term%20with%20spaces
Special Characters:
Original: user@example.com
Encoded: user%40example.com
Usage: ?email=user%40example.com
Programming Symbols:
Original: C++ programming
Encoded: C%2B%2B%20programming
Usage: ?topic=C%2B%2B%20programming
Full URLs:
Original: https://example.com/search?q=hello world
Encoded: https%3A%2F%2Fexample.com%2Fsearch%3Fq%3Dhello%20world
Usage: ?redirect=https%3A%2F%2Fexample.com%2Fsearch%3Fq%3Dhello%20world
Tips:
- Only encode the parts that need encoding (usually query parameter values)
- Don't encode the entire URL unless it's being passed as a parameter
- Use this tool to debug API requests with complex parameters
- Test how your URLs will look after encoding
- Decode URLs from logs or error messages to understand them
Common Mistakes:
- Encoding the entire URL when only parameters need it
- Forgetting to encode user input before adding to URLs
- Double-encoding (encoding already-encoded text)
- Using the wrong encoding for the URL part (path vs query)