URL Encoder / Decoder — Encode & Decode URL Components (Free)

Encode and decode URL components online for free. Percent-encode spaces, Chinese characters and special symbols, or decode them back — all in your browser.

All tools run in your browser — nothing you process is ever uploaded.

How to Use

Type or paste text into the input box — for example a URL containing spaces or Chinese characters.
Click Encode to percent-encode it, or Decode to turn an encoded string back into readable text.
Use Copy to grab the result, or Clear to start over.

Encoding happens entirely in your browser, so values you process here never leave your device.

URL encoding is a daily need for anyone building links, query strings or integrations: sharing a search term with spaces, passing a Chinese title in a URL, or debugging an API call that arrives with %20 sequences. Getting the encoding right by hand is tedious and easy to get wrong — one missed character can break a whole link.

Tips

Use Decode when a URL arrives filled with %-escapes and you want to read what it actually contains. Use Encode before putting user-supplied text into a link, so special characters cannot break the URL structure. Non-ASCII text such as Chinese, Japanese and accented letters is encoded to UTF-8 percent sequences.

Why use it

Every browser does URL encoding internally, but you often need the encoded form itself — for redirects, API payloads, email links or documentation. This tool gives you both directions instantly, with clear errors, and keeps your data in the browser.

Real-world use cases

API development: Format JSON responses from Chrome DevTools before committing fixtures.
Debugging: Validate timestamps, regex or hashes without switching to a terminal or IDE.
On-call fixes: From your phone, quickly convert timezone or generate a UUID for a hotfix branch.

How it compares

Tool	Offline	Privacy	Setup	Cost
This tool	Yes	100% local	None	Free
Server tools	No	May log IP	None	Free/Ads
CLI / IDE plugin	Yes	Local	Install & config	Free

For quick checks without context switching, the browser tool is fastest. For CI, keep the CLI as source of truth.

Pro tips

Bookmark the tool. With prefetch enabled, it opens near-instantly next time.
For secrets like hashes with salts, prefer your local terminal for production values.
Pair UUID/Password generators with your password manager for rotation workflows.

FAQ

What does URL encoding do?

URL encoding converts characters that are not safe inside a URL into a percent-encoded form. For example, a space becomes %20 and 中文 becomes %E4%B8%AD%E6%96%87. This lets browsers and servers pass text safely inside query parameters and paths.

What is the difference between encodeURIComponent and encodeURI?

encodeURIComponent encodes every reserved character, so its output is safe anywhere in a URL — including query values. encodeURI leaves reserved delimiters such as / and ? untouched, so it is only suitable for whole URLs. This tool applies the component-level encoding, which is what you normally need for values.

How do I decode a percent-encoded string?

Paste the encoded string such as %E4%B8%AD%E6%96%87 into the input and click Decode. The original text is restored. If the input is not valid percent encoding, the tool shows an error instead of returning garbage.

Is it safe to paste production secrets?

Local processing is safer than server tools, but avoid pasting real production secrets anywhere.

Does this work offline?

Yes. After the first load the tool works without network.

Can I use this on mobile?

Yes. All developer tools are responsive and work on phones.