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ToolPrime

URL Encode & Decode

Convert text to URL-safe percent-encoded format or decode URL-encoded strings back to plain text. Supports both encodeURIComponent and encodeURI modes. All processing happens locally in your browser.

How to Use the URL Encoder & Decoder

Select Encode → URL to convert plain text into a URL-safe format, or Decode ← URL to convert URL-encoded text back to readable form. Type or paste your input and the result appears instantly.

When encoding, choose between encodeURIComponent (encodes all special characters, best for query parameters) and encodeURI (preserves URL structure characters like /, :, ?). If you are unsure, encodeURIComponent is the safer default.

What Is URL Encoding?

URL encoding (also called percent-encoding) replaces unsafe characters in a URL with a % followed by two hexadecimal digits. For example, a space becomes %20 and an ampersand becomes %26.

URLs can only contain a limited set of ASCII characters. When you need to include characters outside that set — spaces, Unicode text, or reserved characters like & and = — they must be percent-encoded. This is essential for building query strings, form submissions, and API requests.

Privacy

All encoding and decoding is performed locally in your browser using the built-in encodeURIComponent() and decodeURIComponent() APIs. Your data never leaves your device.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between encodeURI and encodeURIComponent?
encodeURIComponent encodes all special characters including /, :, and ?. encodeURI preserves URL structure characters and only encodes characters that are not valid in any part of a URL. Use encodeURIComponent for query parameter values and encodeURI for full URLs.
Can it handle Unicode and emoji?
Yes. The tool fully supports UTF-8 encoding, so characters like accented letters, Chinese characters, and emoji are correctly encoded and decoded.
Is my data safe?
Yes. All encoding and decoding happens locally in your browser using built-in JavaScript functions. No data is ever sent to a server.

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