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URL Encoder/Decoder

Encode or decode strings to and from URL-encoded format (percent-encoding).

About URL Encoding

URL encoding (also known as percent-encoding) is a mechanism for encoding information in a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI). Characters that are not "safe" in URLs (like spaces, `&`, `?`, `=`, etc.) are replaced with a `%` followed by their two-digit hexadecimal representation (e.g., `%20` for space).

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What is URL Encoder/Decoder?

URL encoding, also known as percent-encoding, is a mechanism for encoding information in a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI). It ensures that all characters are transmitted correctly, as URLs can only contain a limited subset of ASCII characters. Unsafe characters are replaced with a '%' followed by two hexadecimal digits that represent the character's ASCII value. For example, a space is encoded as %20.

Common Use Cases

  • Ensuring data in URL query strings is transmitted reliably.
  • Safely embedding special characters or binary data within a URL.
  • Preparing data for submission in an 'application/x-www-form-urlencoded' POST request.

Example: Input & Output

Sample Input

See the tool above for interactive examples.

Expected Output

The processed output will appear here instantly.

How to Use

  1. Step 1: Paste your text or URL component into the input field.
  2. Step 2: Click 'Encode' to convert characters into their URL-safe %-equivalents.
  3. Step 3: Click 'Decode' to convert a percent-encoded string back to its original form.
  4. Step 4: Use the 'Copy' button to grab the result.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why can't I just put spaces in a URL?

The space character is a delimiter and would be misinterpreted. URL encoding it to %20 ensures it's treated as part of the data, not the URL structure.

Should I encode an entire URL?

No. This tool is for encoding components of a URL, like a query parameter. Encoding a full URL like 'http://example.com' would break the 'http://' part.

Is this the same as Base64 encoding?

No. While both are encoding schemes, URL encoding is specifically for making strings safe for URLs, whereas Base64 is for representing binary data in an ASCII string format.

Is my data secure?

Yes. All encoding and decoding operations are performed locally in your browser. No data is ever sent to or stored on our servers.

Privacy & Security

All data processing for the URL Encoder/Decoder happens entirely on your local machine within your browser. No data is ever sent to our servers, ensuring your information remains private and secure. We believe in privacy by design, and our tools are built to be used without compromising your data.