URL Encoder / Decoder
The URL Encoder / Decoder converts text to and from URL percent-encoding. Encode a value so it’s safe to drop into a query string, or decode a messy %20-filled URL back into readable text. Choose “Component” for a single value or “Full URL” to keep the URL structure intact. Percent-encoding (RFC 3986) replaces each byte with % followed by its two-digit hexadecimal value, so a multi-byte UTF-8 character produces multiple %XX groups just like a reserved symbol does. JavaScript's encodeURIComponent leaves only the unreserved characters untouched — A–Z, a–z, 0–9, and - _ . ! ~ * ' ( ) — and escapes everything else, including the URL-structural characters : / ? # & = + $ , ; ; encodeURI additionally preserves that structural set so an entire URL stays parseable after encoding, which is exactly the distinction behind this tool's Component vs. Full URL modes.
Component encodes everything (for a single query value or path segment).
Percent-encodes or decodes text for URLs. Use “Component” for a single query value and “Full URL” to keep the URL structure. Everything runs in your browser — nothing is uploaded.
How This Tool Works
Pick Encode or Decode, choose Component (a single value) or Full URL, then type or paste your text. The result updates live and can be copied or swapped back as input with one click.
Formula & Method
URL encoding replaces characters that aren’t allowed in a URL with a “%” followed by their hexadecimal byte value (a space becomes %20). Component scope encodes reserved characters like & ? / = too; full-URL scope leaves those structural characters in place.
Example Calculation
With the default Full URL input https://example.com/search?q=hello world&lang=en, choosing Encode + Full URL calls JavaScript's encodeURI(), which only escapes characters outside its preserved set — here just the space, which becomes %20 — producing https://example.com/search?q=hello%20world&lang=en while : / ? & = are left untouched so the URL stays structurally valid. Switching to Component scope on the same text would also escape the & and =, since component encoding treats every character outside A–Z, a–z, 0–9, and - _ . ! ~ * ' ( ) as unsafe.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the difference between Component and Full URL?+
Component (encodeURIComponent) encodes everything including & ? / = — use it for a single query value or path segment. Full URL (encodeURI) leaves those structural characters alone so a complete URL still works.
Why do I get a decode error?+
Decoding fails when the text has an invalid percent sequence — for example a lone “%” or “%zz” that isn’t a valid hex byte. Fix or remove it and try again.
Is my text uploaded anywhere?+
No — all encoding and decoding happens locally in your browser. Nothing is sent to a server.
Why does a space become %20 instead of a plus sign?+
This tool always uses %20, the standard URI percent-encoding produced by JavaScript's encodeURIComponent/encodeURI. The + character for spaces is a different, older convention used only in HTML form submissions (application/x-www-form-urlencoded) — this tool doesn't do that kind of form encoding, so you'll never see a + in its output.
How does it handle accented letters or emoji?+
Correctly — because it's backed by the browser's native encodeURIComponent/encodeURI, a non-ASCII character is first broken into its UTF-8 bytes and each byte is percent-encoded separately. An accented letter like é becomes two groups (%C3%A9), and an emoji, which needs more UTF-8 bytes, can produce four.
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<a href="https://everyfix.net/tools/url-encoder-decoder/">URL Encoder / Decoder</a> by <a href="https://everyfix.net">EveryFix</a>Related Tools
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