URL component
Use component mode for one query value, path segment, fragment value, or nested URL. It escapes separators such as &, =, ?, #, and / when they belong to the data.
Free online developer utility · no registration or login
Free URL Encoder & Decoder Online
Encode or decode URL components, full URLs, and query parameters with UTF-8 percent encoding. Copy the result online without registration or login.
- Component, full URL, or form style
- UTF-8 and Unicode aware
- Clear malformed-input errors
- Free online, no registration or login
URL conversion workspace
Encode or decode with the right URL context
This free online tool converts UTF-8 text in your browser with no registration or login.
Direction
Escapes separators inside one dynamic query value, path segment, fragment value, or nested URL.
36 characters · 36 UTF-8 bytes · 10 percent triplets
Keyboard shortcut: Ctrl/Command + Enter. The source text is not rewritten when conversion fails.
Converted result
Run the converter to inspect the result and counts.
Your encoded or decoded text will appear here.
URL componentPercent encoding to UTF-8 text
Encode or decode a URL value in three steps
A short path from source text to a result whose encoding context and size you can verify.
- Step 1
Choose a direction and style
Select Encode or Decode, then choose URL component, Complete URL, or Form/query value to match the source context.
- Step 2
Enter the source text
Paste plain text, a percent-encoded component, or an already structured URL. Your source stays unchanged while the conversion runs.
- Step 3
Check and take the result
Review the status, character and byte counts, and percent triplets, then copy, download, or swap the result into the opposite direction.
Choose the right URL encoding style
The correct choice depends on whether reserved characters are data, URL structure, or form-style query syntax.
Complete URL structure
Use complete-URL mode for an already structured address whose :, /, ?, #, &, and = separators should remain readable. This mode converts text but does not validate or fetch the URL.
Form or query value
Use form-style mode when spaces should be written as + and decoded + signs should become spaces. A literal plus in encoded data is represented as %2B.
How percent-encoding represents text
Percent-encoding works on bytes, so the same visible character can produce one or several hexadecimal escape triplets.
UTF-8 becomes percent triplets
ASCII punctuation often becomes one %XX triplet. Emoji, CJK, and accented characters can require several UTF-8 bytes, so one visible character may produce multiple triplets.
Separators can be data or structure
Characters such as &, =, ?, #, and / have structural roles in URLs. Component mode escapes them as data; complete-URL mode preserves their structural meaning.
Common escapes to recognize
A space is %20, & is %26, = is %3D, + is %2B, # is %23, and / is %2F in component data. Form-style spaces use + instead of %20.
Debug common URL encoding problems
Most broken values come from a context mismatch, an extra encoding layer, or an incomplete percent escape.
A plus sign is not always a space
Only Form/query value mode treats + as a space. Component and complete-URL modes preserve a literal plus, which matters for values such as tokens and Base64-like strings.
%25 can reveal double encoding
Encoding an already escaped value turns each % into %25, so %20 becomes %2520. Find the duplicate encoding layer instead of automatically decoding the value several times.
Malformed escapes should stop the conversion
A percent sign must be followed by two hexadecimal digits, and the resulting bytes must form valid UTF-8. Invalid input produces an error without rewriting the source text.
Where to use the converted value—and where not to
Percent-encoding helps text fit into a URL position, but downstream code still decides whether the value is valid, trusted, or safe to use.
API and query parameter values
Encode dynamic keys and values before assembling a query so spaces, ampersands, and equals signs do not create unintended parameters.
Redirects and callback URLs
When one complete URL is carried inside another URL parameter, encode the nested address as a component so its internal query and fragment stay part of the value.
Paths, fragments, and downstream validation
Encode one path segment or fragment value without changing the surrounding structure. After decoding, still apply your application's validation and security rules.
Privacy and limits
Conversion runs in this browser tab. Inspect and validate the result for its exact destination before using it in an application.
- The converter processes one UTF-8 string at a time; it does not provide batch, file, recursive, or legacy-character-set conversion.
- Complete URL mode preserves URL separators but does not parse, validate, fetch, or test the destination.
- Percent-encoding is reversible and is not encryption, authentication, or protection from unsafe decoded content.
- Malformed percent triplets and escape sequences that are not valid UTF-8 are rejected instead of silently repaired.
URL Encoder & Decoder FAQ
Straight answers about percent-encoding, URL components, complete URLs, form-style spaces, Unicode, errors, and browser processing.
Is this URL encoder and decoder free to use?
Yes. This is a free online URL encoder and decoder. You can convert text in your browser without registering, creating an account, or logging in.
What is URL encoding?
URL encoding, also called percent-encoding, represents characters as percent signs followed by hexadecimal byte values. For example, a space can become %20 and an ampersand can become %26.
What is the difference between encodeURI and encodeURIComponent?
encodeURI is intended for an already structured complete URL and preserves separators such as :, /, ?, #, &, and =. encodeURIComponent is intended for one dynamic value, such as a query value or path segment, so it escapes those separators when they are data.
Should I encode a complete URL?
Choose Complete URL only when the input already has the URL structure you want to preserve. If a complete URL is being placed inside another URL as one parameter value, choose URL component so its separators are escaped as data.
Why do spaces appear as %20 or +?
Component and complete-URL encoding use %20 for a space. Form-style query values commonly use + instead. In this tool, only Form/query value mode converts + back to a space; the other modes preserve a literal plus sign.
Can this tool encode emoji and non-English text?
Yes. The converter uses UTF-8 browser encoding, so emoji, CJK characters, accented text, and other Unicode input become one or more percent-encoded byte triplets.
What does double URL encoding look like?
If an already encoded value is encoded again, its percent signs are escaped. For example, %20 becomes %2520 because % becomes %25. Check the encoding layer instead of repeatedly decoding unknown input.
Why does decoding show a malformed URI error?
A percent sign may be missing two hexadecimal digits, or the escape sequence may not form valid UTF-8 text. The tool reports the error and leaves your source input unchanged.
Is URL encoding encryption?
No. Percent-encoding is a reversible representation for URL syntax. It does not hide a value, authenticate it, validate a destination, or make decoded content safe to use without application checks.
Does the input leave my browser?
No. The conversion runs in this browser tab, and the page does not upload the entered text or generated result. No registration or login is required.
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