Central Tools

URL Encoder & Decoder

Encode and decode URLs and query strings. Perfect for web developers and API testing.

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How to use URL Encoder & Decoder

1

Choose 'Encode' or 'Decode' mode.

2

Paste your URL or text.

3

Click 'Convert' to see the result.

Why use this tool?

Instant Conversion

Encode and decode URLs in real-time.

Error Handling

Detects invalid input for decoding.

Privacy First

All processing happens locally.

Free URL Encoder/Decoder - Encode & Decode URLs Online

Encode and decode URLs instantly with proper percent-encoding for spaces, special characters, and reserved symbols. Essential for developers building APIs, creating tracking links, or debugging URL parameters. Handles complex query strings, international characters, and edge cases automatically. Works offline with zero privacy concerns.

Quick How-To Guide

  1. 1Paste your URL or text into the input box
  2. 2Click "Encode" to convert special characters to URL-safe format (%20, %26, etc.)
  3. 3Click "Decode" to convert percent-encoded URLs back to readable text
  4. 4Copy the result and use it in your application, API call, or browser
  5. 5For query strings, the tool automatically formats them for readability

Why use our tool?

Bidirectional conversion—encode plain text to URL-safe format or decode URLs back to readable text
Handles special characters—properly converts spaces, &, ?, #, /, and international characters
Batch processing—encode or decode multiple URLs simultaneously
Query string parsing—decode complex URL parameters into readable key-value pairs
Unicode support—handles international characters (Chinese, Arabic, Emoji) correctly
Instant validation—highlights improperly formatted URLs automatically

Frequently Asked Questions

Find answers to common questions about using our tool, its features, and how it handles your data privacy.

You must encode URLs whenever you include special characters in query parameters or path segments. For example, if you want to pass "name=John Doe&age=30" in a URL, you need to encode spaces and the ampersand to "name=John%20Doe%26age=30". Common scenarios: search queries with spaces, emailing URLs with special characters, passing URLs as parameters to other URLs, API calls with JSON or complex data, tracking parameters for marketing campaigns.
Both are valid but used in different contexts. %20 is the standard percent-encoding for spaces and works everywhere. The + character is an older convention specifically for form data (application/x-www-form-urlencoded) and query strings. Modern APIs and URLs prefer %20. When in doubt, use %20—it's more universally compatible. Our encoder uses %20 by default.
Not all special characters need encoding in every context. Characters like / : @ are part of the URL structure itself (scheme, path separators, etc.) and only need encoding when used as data in query parameters or path segments. Our tool intelligently determines when to encode based on context. If you specifically need to encode these characters (e.g., passing a URL as a parameter), use the "Encode All" option.
Yes! Tracking URLs from Google Analytics (utm_source, utm_medium, etc.), Facebook (fbclid), or marketing platforms often contain encoded parameters. Paste the full URL into the decoder to see the actual values. This is useful for debugging campaigns, understanding where traffic came from, or cleaning up URLs before sharing them.
The tool uses UTF-8 encoding to handle all international characters, including Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, Cyrillic, emoji, and accented characters. For example, "你好" (hello in Chinese) encodes to "%E4%BD%A0%E5%A5%BD". This is the standard for modern web applications. If you encounter issues with old systems, they might use a different encoding (like ISO-8859-1), which would require specialized tools.
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