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URL Encoder/Decoder - Encode and Decode URLs

Encode special characters and spaces in URLs. Decode percent-encoded strings back to readable text. Supports encodeURIComponent and encodeURI. Everything runs locally in the browser.

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How to encode and decode a URL with special characters?

The URL Encoder/Decoder tool does three jobs: 1) Encode (encodeURIComponent) — encodes all special characters including :, /, ?, #, &, used for individual query parameters. Space becomes %20. 2) Decode (decodeURIComponent) — returns percent-encoded strings back to readable text. 3) Encode full URL (encodeURI) — leaves structural URL characters (: / ? #) unencoded, ideal for encoding entire URLs. All characters that need encoding are defined by RFC 3986. Special letters are encoded as UTF-8 multi-byte sequences — Google reads these URLs correctly but readable URLs with Latin characters are preferred for SEO. Everything is processed locally in the browser using built-in JavaScript functions — nothing is sent to the server. BeoHosting hosting from $4.66/month supports .htaccess URL rewrite for SEO-friendly URLs.

  • Three functions — encodeURIComponent, decodeURIComponent, encodeURI
  • UTF-8 special characters supported (multi-byte sequences)
  • RFC 3986 standard — compatible with all APIs and browsers
  • BeoHosting URL rewrite from $4.66/month — SEO-friendly URLs

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URL Encoder / Decoder

Enter text or URL for encoding/decoding. Everything is processed locally in your browser.

Privacy: Encoding and decoding are performed exclusively in your browser using built-in JavaScript functions. Nothing is sent to the server or stored.

Reference

Table of special characters and their URL codes

The most common special characters that must be encoded in URLs.

CharacterURL codeDescription
(space)%20Space
!%21Exclamation mark
#%23Hash/pound
$%24Dollar
&%26Ampersand
'%27Apostrophe
(%28Open parenthesis
)%29Close parenthesis
+%2BPlus
,%2CComma
/%2FSlash
:%3AColon
=%3DEquals
?%3FQuestion mark
@%40At sign
c%C4%87Non-ASCII character (Latin with diacritic)

URL Encoding - Why it matters and when to use it

URL encoding (percent-encoding) is a mechanism defined by the RFC 3986 standard that enables safe transmission of special characters through URLs. URLs can only contain a certain set of ASCII characters — letters, digits, and a few special symbols. All other characters, including special letters, spaces, and symbols, must be encoded.

When to use URL encoding?

URL encoding is necessary in several situations: when sending data through URL parameters (query string), when constructing URLs with user input, when working with APIs that expect encoded parameters, and when creating links that contain special characters or non-ASCII letters.

URL encoding and SEO

For SEO optimization, it's recommended to use readable URLs without encoding where possible. Google and other search engines can read UTF-8 encoded URLs, but simpler URLs with Latin letters are better for sharing and user experience. On BeoHosting hosting plans you can configure .htaccess or Nginx rules to create SEO-friendly URLs.

Use cases

Where is URL encoding used?

Query parameters

Encoding values in URL parameters (?name=John%20Smith). Without encoding, the space would break the URL.

API calls

Sending data through REST API URLs. Special characters in parameters must be encoded for correct transmission.

Forms and search

HTML forms with GET method automatically encode data in the URL. Understanding encoding helps with debugging.

Non-ASCII characters in URLs

Cyrillic, Latin with diacritics, and other non-ASCII letters require UTF-8 encoding for safe use in URLs.

Redirects

When a URL contains special characters and is used as a parameter of another URL, double encoding may be required.

Email and marketing

Links in email campaigns with tracking parameters require proper encoding for correct operation.

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Frequently asked questions - URL Encoder/Decoder

Answers to the most common questions about our services.

URL encoding (also known as percent-encoding) is a mechanism for encoding information in a URL (Uniform Resource Locator). Special characters are replaced with a percent sign (%) and a two-digit hexadecimal code. For example, space becomes %20. This is defined by the RFC 3986 standard.

URL encoding is needed when you send data through URL parameters (query string), when the URL contains special characters (spaces, non-ASCII letters, symbols), when working with APIs that expect encoded parameters, and when creating links containing user data. Browsers automatically encode URLs, but when programming you often have to do it manually.

encodeURI() encodes the entire URL but leaves characters like :, /, ?, # and & unencoded because they are part of the URL structure. encodeURIComponent() encodes ALL special characters and is used for encoding individual parameters. Our tool uses encodeURIComponent for maximum compatibility.

Non-ASCII letters are encoded using UTF-8 encoding, resulting in multi-byte sequences. This is important for SEO because Google reads UTF-8 encoded URLs correctly.

No. Encoding and decoding are performed exclusively in your browser using built-in JavaScript functions (encodeURIComponent/decodeURIComponent). Nothing is sent to the server or stored in a database. Your URLs and data are completely private.

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