URL Encoder / Decoder
Percent-encode text for URLs or decode encoded URLs back to readable text.
🔗Percent-encoding, decoded
URLs can only carry a limited alphabet — spaces, &, ?, #, and every non-English character must travel as percent-encoded sequences like %20. This tool converts both directions instantly and locally: encode a parameter value before pasting it into a link, or decode a scary-looking tracking URL to see what it actually says.
🧮How percent-encoding works
Each unsafe character becomes its UTF-8 bytes written as hexadecimal with a % prefix. That's why one Hindi character can become nine encoded characters — three bytes, three %XX groups.
marks & grades? → marks%20%26%20grades%3F— the & and ? must be encoded or they'd be read as URL syntax instead of data.💡When to encode (and when not to)
- Encode VALUES, not whole URLs — encoding the entire address breaks the :// and / structure.
- Always encode user input placed into query parameters; a stray & silently truncates your data.
- Decode suspicious links before clicking — %-soup often hides redirects and trackers.
- + means space only in old-style form data; %20 is the safe universal spelling.
💡 Frequently Asked Questions
What is URL encoding?+
Percent-encoding: unsafe characters are replaced by % followed by their UTF-8 bytes in hex — space becomes %20, & becomes %26. It keeps data from being confused with URL syntax.
Should I encode the whole URL or just parts?+
Just the parts that carry data — usually query-parameter values. Encoding a complete URL turns its own structure (:// ? & =) into data and breaks the link.
Why do I see %20 instead of spaces?+
URLs cannot contain literal spaces, so they're carried as %20. Browsers decode them for display, which is why the address bar often looks cleaner than the underlying link.
What's the difference between %20 and + for spaces?+
%20 is the universal percent-encoding; + means space only inside application/x-www-form-urlencoded form submissions. When in doubt, %20 is always safe.
Does this work with Hindi and emojis?+
Yes — characters are encoded via their UTF-8 bytes, so any script round-trips correctly. One emoji typically becomes 4 bytes = four %XX groups.