URL Encoder & Decoder

Encode and decode URLs, query strings, and percent-encoded parameters with RFC 3986 compliance and an interactive query parameter inspector.

Raw String / Plaintext URL
Chars: 97Bytes: 97 B
Percent-Encoded Result
Ready15 encoded % escapes
Chars: 127Bytes: 127 B
URL Components & Query Inspector
Protocolhttps:
Host / Domainapi.example.com
Path/v2/search
Fragment (Hash)#results
Query Parameters (3)
KeyValueAction
querydeveloper tools
filteractive
tagsweb,jwt,base64
Client-Side Processing: URLs, tokens, and query strings are never logged or stored.

How to use URL Encoder & Decoder

  1. 1Select 'URL Encode' to percent-encode reserved characters, or 'URL Decode' to restore percent-encoded strings to clear plaintext.
  2. 2Choose your encoding scope: 'Component' (for query values & parameters), 'Full URL' (preserving ://, ?, &, and # delimiters), or 'Form (+)' for HTML form submissions.
  3. 3Paste your raw string or complex URL into the input pane, or click 'Sample' to test a standard API endpoint with query arguments.
  4. 4Review the parsed 'URL Components & Query Inspector' table to examine individual keys, values, and protocol metadata.
  5. 5Click 'Copy' to copy the encoded or decoded URL to your clipboard, or click 'Save' to export to a text file.

Key Features & Highlights

  • •RFC 3986 Strict Encoding: Accurately escapes non-alphanumeric characters including !, ', (, ), and * which are often skipped by legacy implementations.
  • •Three Tailored Modes: Toggle easily between Component (query parameter values), Full URL (entire links with structural preservation), and Form (+) application/x-www-form-urlencoded spaces.
  • •Interactive Query Parameter Inspector: Automatically parses full URLs and extracts query keys and values into an organized, copyable data table.
  • •Detailed URL Component Diagnostics: Breaks down and verifies URL protocols, hostnames, directory paths, and fragment identifiers.
  • •Percent-Escape Counter: Real-time telemetry displaying the exact number of %XX hexadecimal escape sequences generated.
  • •Bi-Directional Instant Swap: Switch between encoded output and decoded input instantly for rapid debugging cycles.
  • •100% Client-Side Privacy: No URLs, session tokens, or query parameters are ever uploaded or transmitted across the network.

Understanding URL Encoder & Decoder

Encode and decode Uniform Resource Identifiers (URIs), query strings, and percent-encoded parameters with absolute precision. Designed for web developers, backend engineers, and SEO specialists, this tool supports RFC 3986 strict standards, standard JavaScript encodeURIComponent / encodeURI behaviors, and application/x-www-form-urlencoded format (converting spaces to '+'). Includes an automatic URL structure parser that dissects protocols, hostnames, paths, anchors, and query strings into a structured, copyable parameter table.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is URL percent-encoding and why is it necessary?

Uniform Resource Identifiers (URIs) are constrained by RFC 3986 to a specific subset of ASCII characters. Characters outside this set (such as spaces, emojis, or international alphabets) and characters with syntactic meaning (like '?', '&', '=', and '/') must be encoded into a percent sign followed by a two-digit hexadecimal representation of their UTF-8 byte (for example, a space becomes '%20'). This prevents parsing errors and protects the integrity of transmitted data.

What is the difference between encodeURI() and encodeURIComponent()?

encodeURI() is meant for complete URLs; it leaves functional URL delimiter characters intact (such as 'http://', '?', '&', '=', and '#'). In contrast, encodeURIComponent() encodes every reserved character, making it safe for query string values where an unencoded '&' or '=' would otherwise break the query parser.

Why do some spaces encode as '%20' while others encode as '+'?

In standard RFC 3986 URI paths and modern web standards, spaces are encoded as '%20'. However, the legacy HTML form standard (application/x-www-form-urlencoded) traditionally replaces spaces with '+' in query strings. Our tool provides a dedicated 'Form (+)' option so you can test and generate both formats.

Why does Strict RFC 3986 encode !, ', (, ), and *?

JavaScript's default encodeURIComponent() function does not encode !, ', (, ), and * for historical compatibility. However, RFC 3986 considers these reserved in certain subcomponents. Enabling 'Strict RFC 3986' ensures that these characters are percent-encoded into %21, %27, %28, %29, and %2A for maximum interoperability across OAuth signatures and strict API gateways.

Are my sensitive API query parameters safe?

Yes. All encoding, decoding, and parsing occurs 100% inside your local web browser sandbox. No URLs, query parameters, API keys, or session tokens are ever sent to a remote server or logged in any database.

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