What does a URL encoder/decoder do?
A URL encoder converts special characters into percent-encoded values so URLs stay valid across browsers and systems, while a URL decoder reverses the process.
When should you URL-encode data?
- Encoding query parameters with spaces, ampersands, or non‑ASCII characters.
- Working with redirects, forms, tracking links, and API requests.
- Decoding encoded URLs from logs or analytics to debug issues.
FAQ
What does a URL encoder/decoder do?
It converts special characters into percent-encoded text so URLs stay valid, and it can also decode percent-encoded strings back into readable text.
When should I URL-encode data?
When adding user-entered text into query parameters, redirects, tracking links, or API URLs—especially if it contains spaces, &, =, ?, #, or non‑ASCII characters.
Why does decoding fail with an error?
Decoding fails if the string contains malformed percent sequences (like %ZZ), incomplete encoding, or mixed encoding formats.
Does this encode a full URL or just a value?
This tool uses encodeURIComponent, which is best for encoding a URL component (a parameter value). If you encode an entire URL, reserved characters like : / ? & will also be encoded.
Is my data sent to a server?
Conversions run in your browser session. If you later add server-side logging/analytics, update this statement accordingly.