Url Encoder and Decoder
Url Encoder and Decoder converts text and URLs with percent-encoding, Base64, and more, showing clear input, output, size changes, and reference tables.
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Encode and decode URLs without guesswork
The Url Encoder and Decoder page gives you two clear tabs for encoding and decoding text or URLs. The Encode tab focuses on turning plain text or links into safe, percent-encoded strings, while the Decode tab reverses that process. Each side has its own input box, options row, convert button, and output box, so you always know which direction you are working in. Live character counts, paste and copy buttons, and a compact reference table all sit nearby to keep you oriented.
At the bottom of the screen, you see shared controls: Clear All, Swap Input/Output, and Load Sample. A short “Encoding Methods Explained” section explains what each encoding type is best for. A slim status bar under everything is ready to show short messages about actions, such as copying or loading a sample.
Using Url Encoder and Decoder step by step
- Pick the Encode or Decode tab at the top, depending on what you need. The active tab is highlighted, and its panel is visible.
- In the active panel, paste or type your text into the main textarea. Watch the character counter under the field as you work, and use the Paste button if you want to grab clipboard content in one click.
- Choose an Encoding Type or Decoding Type from the dropdown. Leave Auto-encode or Auto-decode checked for live updates, or turn it off and use the Encode or Decode button when you are ready.
- Read the result in the output box, then use the copy button next to it to move the encoded or decoded string into your browser, code editor, or documentation.
If you want to reverse direction, use Swap Input/Output to move the current result into the other tab, then run the opposite operation.
How the tool reduces manual encoding errors
Hand-writing percent-encoded strings is slow and easy to get wrong, especially with query parameters and special characters. Here, the input, encoding options, and output sit in a single column, so you can see the original and encoded forms side by side. The “Encoding Type” menu names match common methods, such as encodeURIComponent and encodeURI, which makes it easier to choose the right approach for a query piece or a full URL.
Character counters and the size difference line under the encoded output show how encoding changes length. That feedback matters if you work with URL length limits or log storage. The “Common URL Encoded Characters” reference grid near the bottom lets you confirm how spaces, hashes, and other symbols map to codes like %20 or %23 without leaving the page.
Understanding URL encoding, decoding, and the results
URL encoding exists so that links can safely carry characters that might otherwise break or confuse parsers. Spaces, non-ASCII symbols, and reserved characters like “?” and “&” all need a safe representation inside a URL. The Encode tab shows this clearly: you paste “https://example.com?name=John Doe&city=New York,” choose an encoding type, and watch characters such as spaces change to %20 or plus signs.
The Encoding Type dropdown shapes how strict that process is. “encodeURIComponent (Recommended)” focuses on parts of a URL, such as query parameters or path segments. It encodes most characters that might have special meaning, which keeps data values separate from URL structure. “encodeURI (Full URL)” keeps key separators like “:”, “/”, “?”, and “#” as they are, which fits whole URLs that already have the right layout and only need unsafe characters encoded.
“escape (Legacy)” and “unescape (Legacy)” exist for older patterns and should usually be used only when you know a system still expects them. They can treat some characters differently from modern methods. Base64 in each menu is a different style of encoding that represents data using a restricted set of characters, often used for binary data or basic obfuscation. The “Encode All Characters” option turns every character into percent-encoded form, which can help in strict contexts where any raw symbol might cause trouble.
The difference between encoding a component and a full URL is explained well in the MDN guide to percent-encoding. Reading that resource alongside the Encoding Methods section on this page helps you match each dropdown label to real browser behavior. The overall structure of URLs follows the W3C URL standard, which is the same set of rules many browsers use when they handle links you type or click.
On the Decode tab, the logic reverses. You paste text such as “Hello%20World%21” or “https%3A%2F%2Fexample.com,” pick a Decoding Type, and the tool turns the codes back into readable characters. “decodeURIComponent (Standard)” and “decodeURI (Full URL)” line up with the methods used on the encoding side. Keeping these pairs straight ensures you do not accidentally decode too much, such as turning “%23” back into “#” in a place where it should stay encoded.
The “Auto-detect” option in the Decoding Type menu focuses on convenience. It suggests that the tool can make a best guess about the right decoding method based on the structure of the input. If that guess does not give the result you expect, you can switch to a specific method and run Decode again, checking the output in the lower textarea.
The Base64 choices on both tabs matter when you work with data URLs, tokens, or simple obfuscation schemes. Base64 encoding does not use percent signs. Instead, it maps data into letters, digits, “+”, “/”, and “=”. The Info cards at the bottom summarize that role and suggest Base64 for binary data or cases where you want to keep content readable by machines but less obvious to humans at a glance.
The “Encode All Characters” Info card explains that this mode encodes every character to its percent form. In the output, you see long strings like “%48%65%6C%6C%6F” for “Hello.” That may feel heavy for normal URLs, but it can help in strict systems or educational cases where you want to see exact hex values for each byte.
The reference grid of “Common URL Encoded Characters” grounds these ideas in concrete mappings. It shows that a space becomes “%20 or +” and that “&” becomes “%26.” Having this list a small scroll away helps when you compare raw and encoded strings. You can copy an encoded output, glance at the grid, and confirm that all the expected characters changed form.
On both tabs, the output areas are read-only, which protects results from small typing mistakes as you review them. To change the content, you go back to the input box, adjust text or options, and run Encode or Decode again. The Swap Input/Output button at the bottom links both directions of work. After encoding, you can swap, move to the Decode tab, and confirm that decoding restores the original text exactly. This round trip test is a good way to build confidence that you picked the right method for your case.
What the tool does not do
The page does not send requests or test whether encoded URLs respond correctly in a browser. It only changes how text is represented, not how servers behave. If an encoded link returns an error, the cause may be outside the encoding itself.
It also does not validate that an entire URL is well-formed beyond the characters you encode or decode. Structure issues like missing schemes, broken domains, or empty query keys are still up to you and any external validators you use. Url Encoder and Decoder focuses on character-level changes, not full link health.
Practical tips for everyday use
Use the “encodeURIComponent (Recommended)” mode for query parameters, form values, and any piece that gets added to a URL, and reserve “encodeURI” for full URLs that already have their structure in place. Keep Auto-encode and Auto-decode turned on while you experiment, then switch them off when you want to lock in one clear action per click.
When debugging, run a sample value through both tabs: encode a short phrase, swap, and decode it again. The results should match the starting text exactly, which shows that your chosen method is consistent. For teaching or documentation, point to the “Encoding Methods Explained” cards and the “Common URL Encoded Characters” grid, and keep Url Encoder and Decoder open as a live companion while you explain how URLs handle special characters.