HandleKit

Efficient, Simple, Always Free Tools.

URL Encoder & Decoder

Encode or decode URLs and URI components instantly — no signup, 100% private.

Common Encoded Characters

Space%20
&%26
=%3D
?%3F
#%23
+%2B
/%2F
@%40
:%3A
%%25

What Is URL Encoding?

URL encoding (also called percent-encoding) converts characters that are not allowed in a URL into a safe format. Each unsafe character is replaced by a percent sign (%) followed by two hexadecimal digits representing the character's ASCII code. For example, a space becomes %20 and an ampersand becomes %26.

This is essential when passing query parameters, form data, or special characters in URLs. Without proper encoding, browsers and servers may misinterpret the data.

encodeURIComponent vs encodeURI

  • encodeURIComponent — encodes everything except letters, digits, - _ . ! ~ * ' ( ). Use for query parameter values.
  • encodeURI — preserves URL structure characters like / ? # & =. Use for a complete URL.

When To Use URL Encoding

  • Passing search terms in query strings
  • Encoding form POST data
  • Building API request parameters
  • Sharing URLs with special characters
  • Debugging encoded URLs from server logs
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