Utilities
Encode and decode URLs without the guesswork
Percent-encode text for URLs or decode it back to readable form, with modes for full URLs and single components.
For the best results: Use component mode for a single value going into a query string (it encodes & and =), and full-URL mode to clean up a whole address without breaking its structure.
Runs entirely in your browser, what you paste is never uploaded, logged, or stored.
What is URL Encoder & Decoder?
URL Encoder & Decoder is a free online utility that percent-encodes text for safe use in URLs, or decodes encoded strings back to readable text. The conversion runs as plain JavaScript in this tab, so whatever you paste, including anything sensitive, never leaves your device. There is no server call involved at all, no account to make, and no cap on how often you use it.
- ✦Runs entirely in your browser. Nothing you enter is ever uploaded
- ✦No account, no sign-up, and no data leaves your device
- ✦Works offline once the page has loaded
See it in action
A search query with spaces, an ampersand and emoji has to survive being put in a URL.
What you type
"a b&c=d?中文/😀" in strict component mode, then the result decoded back
What you get
Every reserved character percent-encoded (space to %20, & to %26 and so on), and the decode returns the input exactly, CJK and emoji included. A truncated %-sequence gets a clear message instead of an exception.
Tip: Component mode is for values you are inserting INTO a URL; full-URL mode keeps / ? & = intact for encoding a whole address. Decode also folds + into spaces, matching how forms encode.
Use cases
What people use it for
Encode a search phrase full of spaces and ampersands before building it into a link.
Decode a long tracking link to see the real destination and parameters hiding inside it.
Fix a broken query string where an unescaped character is splitting the URL early.
Who uses URL Encoder & Decoder?
Digital marketers
build campaign links with UTM parameters that survive spaces, ampersands and special characters intact
Web developers
debug query strings and API calls where one unescaped character quietly breaks the request
Cautious readers
decode suspicious links from emails to see where they really lead before clicking anything
How it works
- 1Vary step 1 by tool shape using the existing FORM_TOOL_IDS set in app/(public)/[category]/[tool]/page.tsx. Form tools get "Set the options for what you need." and text tools get "Paste your text into the box." Where a tool's config makes it easy, name its own inputs instead. Steps 2 and 3 stay shared as they are.
- 2Your browser computes the result instantly. Nothing is uploaded anywhere.
- 3Copy the output; the tool keeps working even offline.
Tips for the best results
- Encode parameter values individually, not the whole URL, or the structure itself gets escaped.
- Decode twice when a link looks like it passed through a redirect service.
- Always use %20 for spaces; plus signs only mean space inside query strings.
- Check ampersands in hand-built links; an unescaped one silently splits your parameters.
- Decoding a link here never visits it, so it is safe for suspicious URLs.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What is percent-encoding?
Percent-encoding replaces a character with a percent sign followed by the two-digit hexadecimal value of its bytes, so a space becomes %20 and an ampersand becomes %26. It lets characters that would otherwise confuse a web address travel through it safely, and it is the official encoding scheme defined for URLs.
Why do URLs need encoding at all?
Certain characters do structural work in a URL: question marks start the query, ampersands separate parameters, hashes mark fragments. Use one of those inside a value and the address silently changes meaning. Encoding disarms them. Characters outside basic ASCII, like accented letters, also need encoding because URLs are ASCII-only by definition.
Should a space be %20 or a plus sign?
Both appear in the wild, which causes real bugs. %20 is the universal percent-encoding of a space and is always safe. The plus sign convention comes from HTML form submissions and is only meaningful inside a query string; in a path, a plus is just a plus. When in doubt, use %20.
Is it safe to paste links containing tokens or personal data?
Yes, because encoding and decoding both happen entirely in your browser. The link is never requested, visited or logged, so unsubscribe links, password reset URLs and tracking links can be inspected without triggering anything. That is a real advantage over pasting a suspicious link into an online scanner that fetches it.
Can I use the decoder to read tracking parameters?
That is one of its best uses. Marketing links often nest a full destination URL inside a redirect parameter, encoded once or even twice. Decoding reveals the true destination, UTM tags and identifiers in readable form. If the result still contains percent signs, run it through the decoder a second time.
What does %20 mean in a URL?
It is an encoded space. Web addresses cannot contain literal spaces, so a space is written as a percent sign plus 20, the hexadecimal value of the space character. When you see %20 scattered through a link, it is simply readable text with its spaces armoured for travel.
How do I convert an encoded URL back to normal text?
Paste it into the decoder and the percent sequences turn back into ordinary characters instantly. If the output still shows percent signs, the link was encoded more than once, which redirect and tracking services often do; decode it again until it reads cleanly all the way through.
Why does my link break when I share it in an email or chat app?
Usually an unencoded character is ending the link early. Messaging apps stop reading a URL at spaces and can mangle characters like ampersands and quotes, so half the address arrives dead. Encoding the problem characters before sharing keeps the whole link clickable from end to end.
Are there any usage limits?
None. Everything is generated locally in your browser, so there is no server cost, no metering, and no daily cap, use it as many times as you like, completely free.
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