URL Encoder & Decoder Online - Percent Encoding Made Easy
Free URL encoder and decoder for developers. Encode URI components, decode percent-encoded links, and normalize full URLs before sharing them with APIs, marketing platforms, or auth redirects. Choose between encodeURIComponent, encodeURI, or form encoding (space = +) with one click.
Privacy-first: everything happens in your browser, so query strings, redirect URIs, and callback URLs never leave your device.
Why Developers Love This URL Encoder
Instant Encoding
Encode URLs or components in real time using encodeURI, encodeURIComponent, or form encoding without writing scripts.
Smart Decoding
Reverse percent encoding, convert plus signs back to spaces, and recover readable links instantly.
Normalization
Clean up URLs by auto-prefixing protocols, resolving redundant slashes, and producing canonical links.
Validation
Catch malformed URLs before they reach your backend by running instant validation checks.
Copy & Export
Copy encoded strings or download results as text files for documentation, QA, or shareable snippets.
Browser Privacy
All encoding happens locally in your browser. Nothing is uploaded, logged, or stored on our servers.
How to Encode or Decode a URL
Paste Input
Drop in any URL, query string, or chunk of text that needs percent encoding.
Choose Mode
Select URI Component, Full URL, or Form encoding depending on where the link will be used.
Encode or Decode
Click Encode URL or Decode URL to transform the string. Copy, validate, or download the result.
URL Encoding Examples
Query Parameter
Input: search=smart formatter & lang=en URI Component: search%3Dsmart%20formatter%20%26%20lang%3Den Form: search%3Dsmart+formatter+%26+lang%3Den
Full URL
Input: https://api.example.com/callback?redirect=/dashboard&state=abc123 Full URL: https://api.example.com/callback?redirect=/dashboard&state=abc123 URI Component: https%3A%2F%2Fapi.example.com%2Fcallback%3Fredirect%3D%2Fdashboard%26state%3Dabc123
Percent Decoding
Encoded: file%2Fupload%3Fname%3Dreport%252Epdf Decoded once: file/upload?name=report%25.pdf Decoded twice: file/upload?name=report.pdf
Understanding URL Encoding & Decoding
What is percent encoding?
Percent encoding converts unsafe URL characters (space, #, ?, &) into %NN sequences so browsers and servers can safely transmit them.
Original: https://example.com/search?q=smart formatter&lang=en Encoded: https://example.com/search?q=smart%20formatter&lang=en
When to encode
Always encode user input before inserting it into query strings, OAuth redirects, analytics links, or API calls to avoid truncation or injection.
URI vs component vs form
- Full URL: Leaves reserved characters alone but escapes spaces or unicode.
- Component: Encodes everything except safe characters; perfect for query values.
- Form: Same as component but replaces spaces with + for legacy form submissions.
Common mistakes
- Encoding an already-encoded URL (results in %2520, %253F, etc.).
- Leaving raw spaces or ampersands inside query values.
- Forgetting to decode incoming webhooks before parsing.
Popular URL Encoding Use Cases
Marketing Links
Safely append UTM parameters to campaign URLs before sharing them in ads, newsletters, or social posts.
API Requests
Encode payloads for REST and GraphQL queries when building Postman collections or automation scripts.
Authentication Redirects
Handle OAuth callback URLs, SAML responses, or password reset links without worrying about broken redirects.
Form Submissions
Preview how HTML forms encode data (space becomes +) before it hits a server or serverless function.
URL Encoder FAQ
What characters need encoding?
Anything outside A-Z, a-z, 0-9, dash, underscore, dot, and tilde should be encoded inside query strings.
Should I encode the entire URL?
Encode the full URL when storing or sanitizing. Encode individual components when building query parameters or fragments.
How do I decode %2F or %3A?
Paste the encoded URL and click Decode URL. %2F becomes /, %3A becomes :, and so on.
Why do spaces sometimes become +?
HTML form encoding replaces spaces with + symbols. Use the Form option to mimic that behavior.
Is my data safe?
Yes. Everything runs client-side, so your URLs never leave your browser.
How do I encode a query parameter?
Use URI Component mode. Encode each value (for example, product names or redirect URIs) before appending it to the query string so ampersands and equals signs don’t break the URL.
How do I percent-decode a webhook payload?
Paste the payload, choose Decode URL, and the tool will reverse % sequences and + symbols back to the original characters.