The URL encoder or decoder processes your input automatically in your browser.
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Review encoded URL
See your URL encoded or decoded result. Errors show clear validation messages.
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Copy or download
Copy the encoded URL to clipboard or download as TXT file.
URL Encoder Decoder Tool
Encode URL, decode URL, Base64 encode, Base64 decode, and more. Input limit: 250,000 characters.
Enter text, choose mode, and click Convert.
Quick notes
URL encoder converts spaces to %20 and special characters for safe URL transmission.
URL decoder converts percent-encoded strings back to readable text.
Base64 encoder and Base64 decoder support UTF-8 text, JWT tokens, and binary data.
All encoding and decoding happens in your browser - no data uploaded to servers.
Decode modes validate input and show clear error messages for malformed data.
What is a URL Encoder Decoder?
A URL encoder decoder is an essential web development tool that converts text and special characters into URL-safe format (URL encode) and converts percent-encoded URLs back into readable text (URL decode). When you encode URL strings, spaces become %20, slashes become %2F, and other special characters are converted to their percent-encoded equivalents, ensuring safe transmission through web browsers, APIs, and HTTP requests.
Understanding URL Encoding
URL encoding (also called percent-encoding) is critical for web applications:
URL Encoder: Converts spaces, special characters, and non-ASCII text into percent-encoded format (%20, %2C, %3F) so URLs work reliably across all browsers and systems.
URL Decoder: Converts percent-encoded strings back into human-readable text, revealing the original URL parameters and query strings.
Query Parameters: Essential for handling form data, search queries, and API requests where special characters must be safely transmitted in URLs.
API Development: URL encode ensures that API endpoints receive correctly formatted parameters without breaking on special characters.
Base64 Encoder and Decoder
Base64 encoding converts binary data or text into ASCII characters for safe text-based transmission:
Base64 Encoder: Encode JSON payloads, JWT tokens, authentication credentials, or small binary images into Base64 format for HTTP headers, cookies, or data URLs.
Base64 Decoder: Decode Base64 strings back to their original text or binary format, perfect for inspecting JWT tokens or extracting data from Base64-encoded sources.
JWT Decode: JWT tokens use Base64 URL encoding. Our decoder lets you decode JWT payloads instantly to inspect claims, user data, and token contents.
Data URLs: Embed small images or files directly in HTML/CSS using Base64 encoding, eliminating separate HTTP requests.
Additional Encoding Formats
Beyond URL and Base64, our encoder decoder supports multiple formats:
HTML Encoding: Convert dangerous characters like < and > into safe HTML entities (< >) to prevent XSS attacks and ensure proper rendering.
Hex Encoding: Convert text to hexadecimal byte representation for low-level debugging, analyzing Unicode behavior, or inspecting file formats.
Binary Encoding: Encode text as 8-bit binary groups to visualize byte-level UTF-8 representation for debugging encoding issues.
How to Use the URL Encoder and Decoder Online
Our free URL encoder decoder makes it simple to encode URL strings, decode URL parameters, Base64 encode, Base64 decode, and convert between multiple encoding formats instantly in your browser.
Encoding a URL Online
Follow these steps to URL encode text for safe web transmission:
Step 1: Paste your URL string, query parameter, or text containing spaces and special characters into the input box.
Step 2: Select "URL Encode" from the Mode dropdown menu.
Step 3: Click Convert (or wait for automatic conversion) to encode URL instantly.
Step 4: The URL encoder converts spaces to %20, slashes to %2F, and all special characters to percent-encoded equivalents.
Step 5: Use "Copy output" to copy the encoded URL to your clipboard for immediate use in web forms, APIs, or HTML links.
Decoding a URL
To decode URL strings and convert percent-encoded text back to readable format:
Step 1: Paste the percent-encoded URL (containing %20, %2F, %3D, etc.) into the input box.
Step 2: Select "URL Decode" from the Mode dropdown.
Step 3: Click Convert to decode URL instantly.
Step 4: The URL decoder converts %20 back to spaces, %2F to slashes, and all percent-encoded characters to their original form.
Step 5: Review the decoded output to see the readable URL parameters and query strings.
Using the Base64 Encoder and Decoder
Encode and decode Base64 strings for JWT tokens, API authentication, or data URLs:
Base64 Encode: Select "Base64 Encode" mode, paste your JSON, text, or credentials, and click Convert. The Base64 encoder produces ASCII-safe output for HTTP headers or cookies.
Base64 Decode: Select "Base64 Decode" mode, paste Base64-encoded text, and click Convert. The Base64 decoder reveals the original text content.
JWT Decode: To decode JWT tokens, copy the middle section (payload) of the JWT (between the two dots), select "Base64 Decode", and click Convert to see the JWT claims.
Error Handling: If you get "invalid decode input" errors, try switching to "Lenient" mode for automatic cleanup of formatting issues.
Privacy and Browser-Based Processing
Security advantages of our URL encoder decoder:
No Server Upload: All URL encoding, URL decoding, Base64 encoding, and other conversions happen entirely in your browser using JavaScript.
Complete Privacy: Your data never leaves your device. No API calls, no server logging, no data collection.
Instant Results: Browser-based processing means instant encoding and decoding with no network latency.
Works Offline: Once loaded, the encoder decoder works even without an internet connection.
Common Uses for URL Encoder Decoder Tools
URL encoding and decoding are fundamental operations in web development, API integration, data transport, and security. Understanding when to encode URL strings, decode URL parameters, Base64 encode, or Base64 decode is essential for modern web applications.
API Development and Testing
URL encoder decoder tools are critical for API workflows:
Query Parameters: URL encode search terms, filter values, and API parameters to ensure special characters don't break HTTP requests.
Authentication: Base64 encode credentials for Basic Authentication headers in REST APIs.
JWT Tokens: JWT decode to inspect token payloads, verify claims, and debug authentication issues without external JWT decoder tools.
Debugging: Decode URL parameters from server logs or browser network tabs to understand what data is actually being transmitted.
Web Forms and Search Queries
Handling user input safely requires proper URL encoding:
Form Submissions: When users submit forms with special characters, spaces, or non-ASCII text, URL encode ensures data reaches the server correctly.
Search Queries: Search terms containing quotes, ampersands, or slashes must be URL encoded to prevent breaking query strings.
Email Links: mailto: links with subject lines or body text containing spaces need URL encoding to work reliably across email clients.
Share URLs: Social media share buttons use URL encoding to pass page titles, descriptions, and URLs as query parameters.
Data Encoding and Transport
Base64 encoder and decoder enable safe text-based data transmission:
JSON Payloads: Base64 encode complex JSON data structures for transmission in URL parameters or HTTP headers where raw JSON isn't allowed.
Image Embedding: Base64 encode small images (icons, logos) as data URLs to embed directly in HTML/CSS, reducing HTTP requests.
Binary Data: Base64 encode binary files or buffers for transmission through text-only protocols like JSON or XML.
Cookie Storage: Base64 encode structured data for storage in cookies where only ASCII characters are permitted.
Security and XSS Prevention
HTML encoding and URL encoding prevent security vulnerabilities:
XSS Prevention: HTML encode user input containing <script> tags or other dangerous characters to render them harmlessly as text instead of executing code.
SQL Injection: While not a complete defense, URL encoding query parameters adds a layer of protection when building database queries.
Log Injection: Encode special characters in log messages to prevent log injection attacks that could manipulate log parsers.
Content Security: HTML decode scraped or database content that's been excessively escaped, ensuring it displays correctly while remaining safe.
Frequently Asked Questions
A URL encoder decoder is a free online tool that converts special characters in URLs into percent-encoded format for safe transmission (URL encode) and converts encoded URLs back to readable text (URL decode). It's essential for handling URL parameters, query strings, and API requests.
To encode URL online: paste your text or URL string into the input box, select 'URL Encode' mode, and click Convert. The URL encoder instantly converts spaces to %20 and special characters to their percent-encoded equivalents for safe URL transmission.
To decode URL: paste the encoded URL string (with %20, %2F, etc.) into the input, select 'URL Decode' mode, and click Convert. The URL decoder instantly converts percent-encoded characters back to readable text.
Base64 encoding converts binary data or text into ASCII characters using 64 printable characters. Our Base64 encoder and Base64 decoder handle UTF-8 text safely, making it perfect for encoding JSON payloads, JWT tokens, or embedding small images in HTML/CSS.
Yes. JWT tokens use Base64 URL encoding. To JWT decode: select Base64 Decode mode, paste the JWT payload section (between the two dots), and click Convert. The decoder reveals the JSON content inside the JWT token.
URL encode converts special characters to percent-notation (%20 for space) for safe URL transmission. Base64 encode converts any data to printable ASCII characters for embedding in text formats. URL encoding is for query parameters; Base64 encoding is for binary data in text protocols.
No. All URL encoding, URL decoding, Base64 encoding, and other conversions happen entirely in your browser. Your data never leaves your device, ensuring complete privacy and security.
This encoder decoder supports URL encode/decode, Base64 encode/decode, HTML entity encoding/decoding, Hex encoding/decoding, and Binary encoding/decoding. All formats process instantly in your browser.
Invalid decode errors occur when input doesn't match the expected format. Try 'Lenient' mode for automatic cleanup, or check that you selected the correct decode format (URL decode, Base64 decode, etc.). The decoder validates input and shows specific error messages.
Yes. After URL encode, Base64 encode, or any conversion, use the 'Copy output' button to copy results to clipboard, or 'Download TXT' to save as a text file for later use.
Yes. This URL encoder, URL decoder, Base64 encoder, and all encoding tools are completely free to use with no sign-up, no ads, and no usage limits.
Yes. The URL encoder decoder is fully mobile-optimized. Encode URL, decode URL, and all other conversions work seamlessly on smartphones and tablets with responsive controls and interface.
