URL Encoder & Decoder
Turn text into URL-friendly characters, read encoded values back, and see every part of a web address laid out in a table.
Break an address into parts
Query parameters
Worked examples
Encoding a search term
cats & dogs?=yes, with the single part option
cats%20%26%20dogs%3F%3Dyes
Every character that could change the meaning of the address is encoded, including the ampersand and equals sign.
Encoding a whole link
https://shop.example.co.uk/search?q=red shoes, with the whole address option
https://shop.example.co.uk/search?q=red%20shoes
The whole address option keeps the structure of the link, so only the space in the search term is encoded.
About URL Encoder & Decoder
Web addresses can only contain a limited set of characters, so spaces, accented letters and symbols such as & and = must be written in a special way. This tool turns ordinary text into that allowed form, which is called URL encoding, and turns encoded text back into the characters it stands for. Choose whether you are converting a single part of an address, such as a search term or one query value, or a whole address that must keep its slashes, question mark and hash sign. The result updates as you type, so you can see exactly what each change does.
The address breakdown is just as useful. Paste a complete link and the tool lists the protocol, host name, port, path, query text and fragment on separate lines. Query parameters are shown in their own table with the values decoded, so plus signs and encoded characters appear as the words they represent. This makes it much easier to debug a link that is not working, check the tracking parameters on a campaign URL or confirm that a redirect is sending people where you intended.
How to use URL Encoder & Decoder
- Choose whether you are converting a single part of an address or a whole web address.
- Pick Encode or Decode from the direction list, then paste your text into the box.
- Turn the plus option on for form data, so that spaces become + signs, or off to keep spaces as %20.
- Copy the result, or paste a full address into the lower box to see its parts and query parameters.
Common uses
- Building a search link with a term that contains spaces or punctuation
- Checking the query parameters on a tracking or campaign link
- Decoding a percent-encoded address copied from a log or an email
- Making sure a redirect target survives being placed inside another address
Frequently asked questions
What does URL encoding actually do?
URL encoding replaces characters that are not allowed, or that have a special meaning, with a percent sign followed by two hexadecimal digits. A space becomes %20, an ampersand becomes %26 and an accented e becomes two codes. Encoding keeps the meaning of the data intact when it is placed inside an address, so the server reads the value exactly as you typed it.
When should I choose the single part option instead of the whole address option?
Choose the single part option when you are encoding a value that will sit inside an address, such as a search term or one parameter. It also encodes characters like ampersands and equals signs, which would otherwise split the value. Choose the whole address option when you have a complete link and want to keep its slashes, question mark, ampersands and hash sign working as separators.
Why does my decoding fail with an error?
Decoding fails when a percent sign is not followed by two valid characters, which are the digits 0 to 9 or the letters A to F. A stray percent sign in a password, a price or a sentence is a common cause. Remove the stray symbol, or encode it first as %25, and the rest of the text will decode normally.
What is the difference between %20 and a plus sign?
Both can stand for a space, but they are used in different places. %20 is the standard way to write a space in an address. The plus sign is used for spaces inside form data and in many query strings. The plus option in this tool switches between the two styles, so use it whenever you are working with data that came from a web form.
Can this tool show me the parameters in a long link?
Yes. Paste a complete address that starts with https:// or http:// into the lower box. The tool lists each part of the address and shows every query parameter in a table, with its value decoded. If a parameter appears more than once, each occurrence has its own row, so repeated values are easy to spot.