URL Encode and Decode

How to use

This tool percent-encodes text so it is safe to put in a URL, and decodes encoded URLs back into readable text.

1. Choose Encode or Decode.
2. Type or paste into the left box. The result updates as you type.
3. When encoding, pick a Mode:
   • Component encodes everything that has a special meaning in URLs, including /, ?, & and =. Use it for a single query value or path segment, the same way encodeURIComponent works in JavaScript.
   • Full URL keeps the characters that give a URL its structure and only encodes spaces, accents and other unsafe characters. Escapes that are already there, like %20, are left alone, so encoding twice does no harm.
4. When decoding, keep Plus as space on for query strings and form data, where + means a space. Turn it off if a plus sign should stay a plus sign.
5. Turn on One per line to process a list of URLs or values in one go.
6. Press Copy to copy the result, or Swap to move it into the input and flip the direction.

If the input is a URL with a query string, a table under the result lists every parameter with its decoded value. This makes long tracking links and API calls easy to read.

Text is encoded as UTF-8, which is what browsers and servers expect. If the input has a broken escape such as %2 or %zz, you see exactly where it is.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between component and full URL encoding?

Component encoding also escapes characters like /, ?, & and =, so a value can never break the URL around it. Full URL encoding keeps those characters, so the URL still works as a link.

Why does a space sometimes become + instead of %20?

HTML forms encode spaces as + in query strings, while the general URL rules use %20. Both are common. When decoding, the Plus as space option controls how + is read.

Which characters never need encoding?

Letters A to Z and a to z, digits, and the four characters - _ . ~ are always safe in a URL. Everything else may need encoding depending on where it appears.