URL Encoder / Decoder
About URL Encoder / Decoder
Our URL Encoder/Decoder converts URLs between human-readable format and percent-encoded format (also called URL encoding). Special characters like spaces, ampersands, and accented letters must be encoded before being safely transmitted in a URL.
Enter the text that you wish to encode or decode:
URL encoding is essential for web developers building APIs, handling form submissions, and working with query string parameters. Incorrect URL encoding can cause broken links, failed API calls, and poor user experiences.
When to Use URL Encoding
- Passing search queries in URL parameters
- Encoding special characters in API requests
- Creating safe links for email campaigns
- Debugging URL-related web development issues
How to Use the URL Encoder/Decoder
- Paste the raw URL or text string you want to convert into the input box.
- Choose whether you need to encode (convert special characters to percent-encoding) or decode (convert percent-encoding back to readable text).
- Click the corresponding button to process the string instantly.
- Copy the converted output from the results field.
- Paste the encoded or decoded string into your link, API request, or code as needed.
Who Uses This Tool: Web developers use it to debug malformed query strings when an API call unexpectedly fails. Email marketers use it to encode tracking parameters and special characters so campaign links don't break in certain email clients. Support and QA teams use it to decode long, unreadable percent-encoded URLs reported by users so they can see exactly what page or parameters were involved.
Frequently asked questions
What is URL encoding used for?
URL encoding (percent-encoding) converts characters that aren't safe in a URL - spaces, special symbols, non-ASCII characters - into a %XX format so links and query strings work reliably across browsers and servers.
Why does my decoded text look different from what I expected?
Make sure the input is actually URL-encoded text (containing %XX sequences) rather than plain text - decoding plain text that was never encoded will just return it mostly unchanged aside from + becoming a space.
Is this the same as Base64 encoding?
No - URL encoding escapes unsafe characters for use in a URL, while Base64 encodes binary data as text for transport. If you need Base64 instead, we have a dedicated Base64 Encoder/Decoder tool.
