About this tool
The URL Encoder/Decoder converts plain text and special characters into URL-safe percent-encoded strings, and reverses that process back to readable text. It is useful for web developers, QA testers, and anyone working with query strings, form data, API endpoints, or link parameters that contain spaces, symbols, or non-ASCII characters. No setup required — paste your string and get your result immediately.
Reach for this tool when you are building or debugging URLs that contain special characters like ampersands, brackets, or accented letters. It is also handy when you receive an encoded URL and need to read what it actually says, or when you are manually constructing API requests and need parameters formatted correctly for transmission.
How to use it
- Paste your plain text or encoded URL string into the input field.
- Choose whether you want to encode or decode the input.
- Click the button to run the conversion instantly.
- Review the output in the result field below the input.
- Click Copy to grab the result and use it in your project.
Pro tips
- Encode only the parameter values, not the entire URL — encoding slashes and colons in the base URL will break the link.
- Double-encoded strings like %2520 mean encoding happened twice — decode once to get %25, then again to get the original character.
FAQ
What is the difference between URL encoding and Base64 encoding?
URL encoding replaces unsafe characters with percent-encoded equivalents so they survive in a URL. Base64 encodes binary or text data into a longer alphanumeric string suited for data transfer, not URL construction.
Why does a space sometimes become + and sometimes become %20?
The plus sign represents a space in HTML form data and query strings, while %20 is the strict URI percent-encoding standard. Which one you should use depends on the context of your application.
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