% URL Encode / Decode

About this tool

URL encoding (also called percent-encoding) turns characters that cannot appear directly in a URL — spaces, non-ASCII text, and reserved symbols like & ? # = — into %XX escape sequences, so the link is parsed correctly as it travels between browser and server. This tool is built on the browser-native encodeURIComponent / decodeURIComponent, so it round-trips Unicode and special characters reliably.

It is especially useful for building query parameters, handling form submissions, and debugging links that contain non-ASCII text: once encoded, a link can safely carry any content, and once decoded it returns to readable plain text.

How to use

1. Paste the string into the input box: plain text to encode, or a string containing %XX to decode.
2. Choose "Encode" or "Decode". Encoding follows encodeURIComponent semantics and escapes reserved characters.
3. The result appears instantly, ready to splice into a URL or restore from one.
4. Click "Copy" to take the result. Garbled output after decoding usually means the original was not UTF-8 encoded.

When to use it

• Splice a keyword with non-ASCII text or spaces into a query parameter ?q=...
• Decode a long run of escapes like %E4%B8%AD from a log or the address bar.
• Escape nested URL parameters such as redirect or callback when building share links.
• Diagnose an endpoint that errors or loses characters because a parameter was not encoded.
• Safely place a string with special symbols into a URL path or fragment.

FAQ