URL Encoder / Decoder
Free URL encoder and decoder. Percent-encode text for query strings or decode %20-style URLs back to readable text — with component and full-URI modes.
About the URL Encoder / Decoder
A URL encoder/decoder that percent-encodes text for use in URLs or decodes %20-style URLs back to readable text, with two modes — value-safe component encoding and structure-preserving full-URI encoding.
This tool encodes text safely for use in URLs, and decodes encoded URLs back into something a human can read. URLs can only carry a limited set of characters. Spaces, ampersands, question marks, non-English characters — anything outside that set must be percent-encoded (a space becomes %20, an ampersand %26) or the URL breaks in transit: query parameters get split in the wrong places, links in emails stop working, APIs reject requests.
The component/full-URI distinction is the part everyone gets wrong once. Component mode encodes every reserved character including &, = and / — exactly what you want when inserting a value into a query string, so that "Tom & Jerry" becomes Tom%20%26%20Jerry instead of accidentally terminating the parameter at the &. Full-URI mode leaves the structural characters (:, /, ?, &) intact — what you want when encoding a complete URL that must keep its shape while fixing spaces and unicode. Encoding a whole URL in component mode mangles it; encoding a query value in URI mode leaves dangerous characters unescaped.
Decoding is just as useful in daily work: unwrapping tracking-laden links from marketing emails to see the real destination, reading the parameters buried in an OAuth redirect, or turning a logged request URL back into legible text. Everything runs locally in your browser, and malformed input (a stray % not followed by two hex digits) produces a clear error instead of silent corruption.
How to use the URL Encoder / Decoder
- Paste your text or URL into the input box.
- Choose whether you want to Encode or Decode.
- Select the mode: Component for query parameters, or Full URI for whole URLs.
- Click Convert to get your percent-encoded or decoded string.
Worked example
"name=Ravi Kumar&city=New Delhi" in component-encode returns name=Ravi%20Kumar%26city%3DNew%20Delhi — a query value stays one parameter. Decoding that back yields the original text.
Formula
Encode: reserved characters become %HH (space → %20, & → %26, = → %3D). Decode: %HH sequences are converted back to their characters. Component mode encodes &, = and /; full-URI mode leaves those structural characters intact.Frequently asked questions
- When do I use component vs full-URI mode?
- Component mode when encoding a single value going into a query string (it encodes &, =, / too). Full-URI mode when encoding a complete URL that must keep its structure. Rule of thumb: values → component, whole URLs → URI.
- Why does a space sometimes appear as + instead of %20?
- The + convention comes from the older form-encoding format used in HTML form submissions. Modern percent-encoding uses %20. Most servers accept both in query strings, but %20 is the safe universal choice.
- Why did decoding fail?
- The input contains a % that isn't followed by two hexadecimal digits — usually a URL that was already partially decoded or hand-edited. Fix or remove the stray % and decode again.
- Can I encode just the query parameters of a URL?
- If you have a full URL but only want to encode the query string values, it's best to extract the values, encode them using Component mode, and then reassemble the URL. Using Full URI mode will encode spaces and special characters but leave structural ones like '&' and '=' untouched.
- Does this tool support Unicode characters?
- Yes, it fully supports Unicode. Characters like emojis or non-English text are first converted to their UTF-8 byte representation before being percent-encoded.
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