URL Encoder / Decoder
Encode special characters for safe links and query strings — or decode a percent-encoded URL back to plain text.
What is this tool?
URLs can only contain a limited set of characters safely. Spaces, ampersands, question marks and non-English letters inside a link or query string must be percent-encoded — a space becomes %20, an ampersand %26 — or browsers and servers may break the link or misread the parameters. This tool encodes and decodes with the standard encodeURIComponent rules used by JavaScript and every major web platform.
Marketers use it to build clean campaign links with UTM parameters, developers use it when constructing API requests, and support teams use the decoder to read what a messy shared link actually points to. If a URL you copied is full of % symbols, decode it here to see the readable version before you click or share it further.
How to use it
- Paste a URL or text with special characters into the input box.
- Click Encode to make it URL-safe, or Decode to turn a percent-encoded string back into readable text.
- Copy the result from the output box.
Formula & method
Worked example
The search link 'https://example.com/search?q=red shoes & socks' encodes the query as 'q=red%20shoes%20%26%20socks', so the server correctly reads one search phrase instead of splitting it at the ampersand into a second parameter.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between encoding a full URL and a component?
This tool encodes the whole input as one component, which is right for query values and text. Encoding an entire URL you plan to visit would also escape its ':' and '/' characters, so encode individual values, not the whole address.
Why do spaces sometimes show as '+' instead?
In form submissions (application/x-www-form-urlencoded), spaces are written as '+'. In most other URL contexts the correct form is %20. Both decode to a space in query strings.
Does decoding a URL make it safe to click?
Decoding only makes it readable — it does not verify safety. Check that the domain is the one you expect before visiting any decoded link from an unknown sender.