URL Encoder / Decoder
Convert special characters to their percent-encoded format and back. Essential for cleaning up URLs and debugging web requests.
Error parsing URL
Input
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Output
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What is URL Encoding?
URL Encoding (also known as Percent-encoding) is a mechanism for encoding information in a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI). Characters that are not allowed in a URL (like spaces, emojis, or certain symbols) must be converted into a safe format that web browsers and servers can understand.
Why Do We Need It?
- Spaces: A URL cannot contain a literal space. It must be encoded as
%20or+. - Reserved Characters: Symbols like
?,/,&, and=have special meanings in URLs (separating query parameters, paths, etc.). If you want to use these characters as actual data (e.g., in a password or search term), they must be encoded. - Data Integrity: Sending complex data strings over HTTP GET requests requires encoding to ensure the receiving server parses the information exactly as intended.
Pro Tip: When decoding, if you see a "URI Malformed" error, it usually means the input string has a
% symbol that isn't followed by two valid hexadecimal digits. This tool will alert you if that happens.
Common Encoded Values
Here are some standard characters you will frequently see encoded:
- Space = %20
- ! = %21
- # = %23
- $ = %24
- & = %26
- @ = %40