URL Encode and Decode
Make text safe to put in a URL, or turn an encoded link full of %20 and %C3%A9 back into readable text. Choose between encoding a single value and encoding a whole URL.
How to encode or decode a URL
- 1Choose a mode: encode text, encode a whole URL, or decode.
- 2Paste your text or URL.
- 3Copy the result.
Text or whole URL
“Encode text” is for one value, such as a search term in ?q=, and encodes characters like & = ? / as well, the same as JavaScript's encodeURIComponent. “Encode a whole URL” leaves those characters alone so the address still works, like encodeURI.
Spaces as +
HTML forms send spaces as + instead of %20. Turn on “Spaces as +” to encode that way, or to decode form data where + means a space.
Any language
Characters outside English, such as é, ü or Hindi and Chinese text, are encoded as UTF-8 bytes, which is how browsers and servers expect them.
Frequently asked questions
- Is my URL uploaded?
- No. Everything runs in your browser.
- Why do I get an error when decoding?
- Decoding fails when a % isn't followed by two hex digits, or the bytes aren't valid UTF-8. The text may be encoded twice or cut off.
- Should I encode a whole URL with “Encode text”?
- No: that encodes the slashes and the ? too, so the result is no longer a working link.