URL Encoder/Decoder
Encode text for safe inclusion in URLs (percent-encoding) or decode percent-encoded URLs.
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Overview
The URL Encoder/Decoder tool helps you convert strings into a format suitable for use in URLs (percent-encoding) and decode such URLs back into their original form. This is essential because URLs can only contain a limited set of characters; special characters need to be encoded.
Use Cases
- Encoding query parameters for URLs to ensure special characters (like spaces, &, ?, =) are handled correctly.
- Decoding URLs to understand the original parameters or path segments.
- Preparing text to be part of a URL path segment.
- Working with web APIs that require URL-encoded data.
How It Works
For encoding, enter your text into the input area and click "Encode URL". The tool uses `encodeURIComponent()`, which encodes all characters except for A-Z a-z 0-9 - _ . ! ~ * ' ( ). For decoding, paste a percent-encoded URL or string segment and click "Decode URL". The tool uses `decodeURIComponent()`. The result appears in the output area.
Tips for Better Usage
- `encodeURIComponent()` is generally preferred for encoding query string parameters as it encodes more characters than `encodeURI()`.
- Percent-encoding replaces unsafe ASCII characters with a "%" followed by two hexadecimal digits corresponding to the character_s ASCII value.
- Spaces are typically encoded as `%20` or sometimes `+` (though `encodeURIComponent` uses `%20`).