URL Encoder Decoder | Percent Encoding

What is URL encoding and why do I need it?

URL encoding replaces characters that are not allowed in a URL with a percent sign followed by two hex digits. For example, a space becomes %20 and an ampersand becomes %26. This is required when passing special characters in query parameters or form data so browsers and servers interpret the URL correctly.

What is the difference between encodeURI and encodeURIComponent?

encodeURI encodes a full URL and leaves characters like /, ?, and & intact because they have meaning in URL structure. encodeURIComponent encodes a single value within a URL and also escapes those structural characters. Use encodeURIComponent (the Encode Component button) when encoding query parameter values.

How do I decode a URL that has percent signs in it?

Paste the percent-encoded string into the Encoded URL box and click Decode URL. The tool converts %20 back to spaces, %26 back to &, and all other percent sequences back to their original characters. This is useful for reading tracking URLs, debugging API responses, or decoding shared links.

What does %20 mean in a URL?

%20 is the percent-encoded representation of a space character. When a URL contains a space, browsers convert it to %20 or sometimes a plus sign (+) in query strings. You will often see %20 in file paths or search queries like example.com/my%20document. Both this encoder and decoder handle both formats.

Is this URL encoder safe for use with passwords or sensitive data?

The encoder runs entirely in your browser and does not transmit your input to any server. However, URL encoding is not encryption or hashing — it is just a text transformation that anyone can reverse. Never put passwords or secret tokens in URLs, encoded or not, as URLs are stored in browser history and server logs.