How to use the URL Encoder / Decoder
- 1
Choose “Encode” or “Decode”.
- 2
Select “Component” for query values or “Full URL” to keep the address structure intact.
- 3
Paste your text — the result updates instantly.
- 4
When decoding a full URL, review the parsed query parameters in the table below.
Features & benefits
Two encoding modes
encodeURIComponent for parameter values and encodeURI for complete addresses.
Query string breakdown
Parses protocol, host, path and every query parameter into a readable table.
Plus-as-space option
Decode form-encoded data where “+” represents a space.
Clear error messages
Malformed sequences such as “%E0%A4%A” are reported instead of crashing.
How URL encoding works
URLs may only contain a limited set of ASCII characters. Anything else — spaces, non-English letters, emoji — must be converted to bytes in UTF-8 and written as “%” followed by two hexadecimal digits. A space becomes %20 and “é” becomes %C3%A9.
Use component mode when encoding a single value you will place after “=” in a query string, because it also escapes “&”, “=” and “/”. Use full-URL mode when you have an entire address and want to keep its separators working.
Frequently asked questions
Should a space be %20 or +?
%20 is valid everywhere. “+” only means a space inside HTML form-encoded query strings. Tick “Treat + as space” when decoding form data.
Why does my decoded URL throw an error?
A percent sign must be followed by two valid hex digits forming valid UTF-8. A stray “%” or truncated sequence triggers an error.
Is double-encoding a problem?
Yes. Encoding an already encoded string turns %20 into %2520. Decode first if you're unsure.