URL Encoder / Decoder

Percent-encoding, done with the right function.

URL Encoder / Decoder applies and reverses percent-encoding, with separate modes for a whole URL and for a single component — a distinction that matters, because encoding a full URL with the component function destroys the slashes. It also breaks a URL into its parts and decodes query strings. Everything runs in your browser.

This tool needs JavaScript, because the work happens on your device rather than on a server. Everything below — how it works, the FAQ and the related tools — is readable without it.

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Runs entirely on your device. No file or text you enter here is uploaded. How to verify it.

How to use URL Encoder / Decoder

Paste a URL or a parameter value.
Pick component or whole-URL mode.
Copy the result, or inspect the parsed URL parts.

Questions about URL Encoder / Decoder

Component or whole URL — which do I need?

Component when you are encoding one value to put inside a URL: it escapes /, ?, & and =, which is what you want for a parameter. Whole URL when you are cleaning up a complete address and need those characters to keep their structural meaning.

Why did my plus sign become a space?

In the application/x-www-form-urlencoded form data format, + means space. In a URL path it means a literal plus. The tool has a form-data mode that applies the first rule and tells you which it used.

Does it handle already-encoded input?

It detects likely double-encoding — a %25 followed by two hex digits — and warns rather than silently mangling it further.

Which characters actually get encoded?

Everything outside the unreserved set — letters, digits, hyphen, full stop, underscore and tilde — becomes a percent escape of its UTF-8 bytes. Component mode also escapes the reserved delimiters; whole-URL mode leaves them intact so the address keeps its structure.

Does it work on an iPhone?

Yes. The page is plain HTML and JavaScript with nothing to install, so it behaves the same in Safari on iOS, Chrome on Android and any desktop browser. Encoding happens on the device in every case.

Is URL Encoder / Decoder really free, with no limits?

Yes. There is no account, no daily cap, no file-size tier and no watermark, because there is no server cost to recover. The site is funded by clearly disclosed partner recommendations on the Partners page, never by metering the tools.

Are my files or text uploaded when I use URL Encoder / Decoder?

No. Everything is processed by JavaScript running in your browser, on your device. You can verify it: open your browser's developer tools, switch to the Network tab, and use the tool. You will see no request carrying your data — because there is nowhere for it to go.