What is URL Encoder/Decoder?
URL Encoder/Decoder is a free online tool that converts special characters in URLs and query strings to percent-encoded format (%20, %3A, etc.) and decodes them back to readable text. When passing data through URLs, characters like spaces, ampersands, and non-ASCII characters must be encoded to prevent breaking the URL structure. This url encoder online handles both full URL encoding and URI component encoding, ensuring your query parameters transmit correctly across the web.
How to Use the URL Encoder/Decoder
- Paste your URL or query string into the input field
- Click “Encode” to convert special characters to percent-encoded format
- Click “Decode” to convert percent-encoded strings back to readable text
- Use “Encode URI Component” for query parameters only (preserves protocol and domain characters)
- Copy the result to clipboard with one click
When Would You Use This Tool?
- Building API requests with query parameters — including JWT tokens passed as query string values
- Debugging malformed URLs that fail to load properly
- Preparing user-generated content for URL transmission — for binary data, Base64 encoding is often a better choice
- Converting search queries into URL-safe format
- Decoding obfuscated URLs to inspect their actual destination
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the difference between Encode URL and Encode URI Component?
Encode URL encodes the entire string including protocol characters (:, /, ?). Encode URI Component only encodes query parameter values, preserving URL structure characters. Use URI Component when encoding individual parameter values.
Why do spaces become %20 in URLs?
URLs only support ASCII characters from a specific safe set. Spaces aren’t in that set, so they’re replaced with their hexadecimal representation (%20) to maintain URL validity across all systems.
Is URL decoding the same as URL decryption?
No — URL decoding (sometimes called “URL decryption” by mistake) simply reverses percent encoding. %20 becomes a space, %40 becomes @. It is not cryptographic; there is no key and no secret. Anyone can decode a percent-encoded URL by reversing the substitution.
What characters does a URL encoder convert?
A URL encoder converts spaces, special characters (!, #, $, &, ', (, ), *, +, ,, ;, =), reserved characters (/, :, ?, @, [, ]), and all non-ASCII characters (Unicode, emoji, accented letters) into %XX percent-encoded sequences. Unreserved characters (A–Z, a–z, 0–9, -, _, ., ~) pass through unchanged.
Can I decode any URL online with this tool?
Yes — paste any percent-encoded URL or query string and click Decode to get the readable version instantly. The tool runs entirely in your browser, so nothing is sent to a server. It handles both full URLs and individual parameter values.
Ready to encode or decode your URLs? Read our URL Encoding Guide for deeper context, or use our URL Encoder/Decoder now — no installation required, fully client-side processing.