URL Encoder / Decoder
Encode or decode URL-safe strings.
Encode or decode URL-safe strings.
Related tools
Ready tools are shown first.
Tool guide
Free Online URL Encoder / Decoder
Percent-encode a URL component with browser encodeURIComponent behavior, or decode percent-encoded text back into Unicode. The decoder also treats plus signs as spaces for common form-style query values.
Steps
How it works
- Choose Encode or Decode.
- Paste a query value, path segment, URL text, or choose one plain-text file.
- Encode one component or decode one layer of percent escapes.
- Copy or download the converted text.
Highlights
Key features
- Uses encodeURIComponent-style percent encoding.
- Encodes Unicode input through its UTF-8 byte representation.
- Decodes percent escapes and converts + characters to spaces.
- Reports malformed percent sequences with a clear error.
- Treats input as text without opening, requesting, or following a URL.
- Provides text-file input, copy, and download actions.
Use cases
Common uses
- Encode a query parameter value before placing it in a URL.
- Decode percent-encoded text copied from a request or log.
- Inspect Unicode URL components during API debugging.
- Prepare path segments and form-style values for development examples.
Notes
Limitations to know
- Encoding uses component rules, so applying it to a complete URL also escapes separators such as :, /, ?, &, and =.
- The decoder changes every + to a space, which is suitable for form-style values but not every URL context.
- Only one encoding or decoding pass runs per conversion; repeatedly encoded text requires repeated conversions.
- Malformed percent sequences cannot be decoded.
- The tool does not validate, shorten, visit, test, redirect, or security-scan URLs.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Should I encode a complete URL or only a parameter?
This tool uses component-style encoding. For most links, encode the individual parameter or path value rather than the entire URL.
Why are spaces encoded as %20?
encodeURIComponent represents spaces as %20. During decoding, this tool also accepts + as a form-style space.
Are Unicode characters supported?
Yes. Browser URI-component functions percent-encode Unicode through UTF-8 bytes.
What happens to /, ?, &, and = when encoding?
They are escaped because the tool encodes a component, not a complete URL structure.
Can I decode a value more than once?
Each conversion decodes one layer. Run the decoded result again only when you know the source was encoded multiple times.
Does URL Decoder validate or open a URL?
No. It only transforms text and does not check whether a URL exists or is safe.