What is URL Encoding?
URL encoding (percent-encoding) converts special characters in a URL to a format that can be safely transmitted over the internet. Characters are replaced with a % followed by two hexadecimal digits (e.g., space becomes %20).
How It Works
- Enter your data — Paste a URL or text into the input area.
- Choose encoding mode — Use "Encode URI" for full URLs (preserves :/?# etc.), or "Encode Component" for query parameters (encodes all special characters).
- Get instant results — The encoded or decoded result appears in the output panel immediately.
- Copy or swap — Copy the result, or swap input and output for further processing.
Key Features
- Encode/Decode URI — For full URLs, preserves reserved characters like /, :, ?, #
- Encode/Decode Component — For query parameters, encodes all special chars
- Instant Results — No server round-trips, everything happens in your browser
- 100% Client-Side — Your data never leaves your browser
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between Encode URI and Encode Component?
Encode URI is for full URLs and preserves reserved characters like /, :, ?, #, &. Encode Component encodes all special characters and is meant for individual query parameter values.
What characters does URL encoding convert?
Any character that is not in the unreserved set (A-Z, a-z, 0-9, -, _, ., ~) gets percent-encoded. For example, space becomes %20, & becomes %26, and Chinese characters get multi-byte encoding.
When should I use URL encoding?
Use it when passing data in URLs, query strings, form submissions, API requests, or any situation where special characters might break URL parsing.
Can I decode a full URL that has encoded query parameters?
Yes, use Decode URI to decode the full URL. The reserved characters (/, ?, =, &) are preserved, while encoded values within parameters are decoded.
Does it handle Unicode and international characters?
Yes, Unicode characters (Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, emoji, etc.) are encoded using UTF-8 percent-encoding. For example, "你好" becomes "%E4%BD%A0%E5%A5%BD".
Why is my encoded URL longer than the original?
URL encoding replaces each non-ASCII character with multiple percent-encoded bytes. A single Chinese character may become 9 characters (3 bytes × 3 chars each).
Is URL encoding the same as Base64 encoding?
No. URL encoding replaces special characters with percent signs and hex digits. Base64 converts entire binary data into a different alphabet. They serve different purposes.
Is my data sent to a server?
No, all encoding and decoding happens locally in your browser. Your URLs and text are never transmitted anywhere.