URL Encoder & Decoder
URL-encode text so it is safe inside a link, or decode a percent-encoded URL back to readable text. Switch between component and full-URL encoding, and see a live breakdown of any query string — all in your browser, nothing uploaded.
Query-string breakdown
Why URLs need encoding
A URL may only contain a limited set of characters. Anything else — a space,
an accented letter, a symbol like & or ? that
already has structural meaning — has to be percent-encoded, replaced by a
% followed by its byte value in hexadecimal. Without it, a space
in a search term or a slash inside a parameter would break the link or be
misread by the server.
Component encoding vs full-URL encoding
The right choice depends on what you are encoding. Use component
encoding for a single value you are inserting into a URL — a search query, a
redirect target, a token — because it escapes the reserved characters that
would otherwise be mistaken for structure. Use full-URL
encoding on a complete address when you only want to fix illegal characters
while keeping the ://, slashes, and query separators working.
Reading a query string quickly
Long URLs bury their parameters behind layers of escaping. Paste one here and
the query-string breakdown decodes every key=value pair into a
readable table, so you can see what a tracking link or API call is actually
sending. Everything is processed locally — pair it with our
Base64 encoder or
JWT decoder when a parameter turns out to
hold encoded data.
Frequently asked questions
How do I URL-encode text?
Keep the direction on "Encode", paste your text, and the percent-encoded result appears instantly. Characters that are unsafe in a URL — spaces, ampersands, question marks, non-Latin letters — are replaced with %-escapes so the string can travel safely inside a link or query parameter.
What is the difference between component and full-URL encoding?
Component encoding (encodeURIComponent) escapes almost everything, including / ? : & = — use it for a single value you are dropping into a query parameter. Full-URL encoding (encodeURI) leaves those structural characters intact so a complete URL stays usable. Pick component when in doubt; it is the safe default for values.
What does the query-string breakdown show?
When your input contains a query string, the tool parses it and lists each parameter as a decoded key and value in a table. It is a fast way to read a long, escaped URL — you see exactly what each parameter carries without decoding it in your head.
Why do I get "URI malformed" when decoding?
Decoding fails when the input contains a stray percent sign that is not part of a valid %XX escape, or a truncated escape at the end of the string. Check for a lone % or an incomplete sequence like %2 — fix or remove it and the rest will decode.
Does URL encoding change spaces to plus signs?
Percent-encoding turns a space into %20. The plus sign is only used for spaces in the older application/x-www-form-urlencoded format used by HTML form submissions. This tool produces %20; if you are decoding form data, replace + with a space first.
Is my data uploaded anywhere?
No. Encoding and decoding run entirely in your browser with no network requests, so nothing you paste leaves your device. Need to encode binary data instead? Use our Base64 encoder, also fully client-side.