URL Encode & Decode Online
Encode and decode URLs with percent-encoding instantly. Free online URL encoder/decoder using encodeURIComponent. Runs in your browser — no server requests.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is URL encoding?
URL encoding (percent-encoding) replaces unsafe ASCII characters with a percent sign followed by two hex digits. For example, a space becomes %20 and an ampersand becomes %26. This ensures special characters are transmitted correctly in URLs.
When do I need to URL encode?
URL encode whenever you include user input in URL parameters, form data, or API requests. Characters like &, =, ?, /, #, and spaces have special meaning in URLs and must be encoded to be treated as literal data.
What is the difference between encodeURI and encodeURIComponent?
encodeURI encodes a full URI but preserves characters like :, /, ?, and #. encodeURIComponent encodes everything except letters, digits, and - _ . ~. Use encodeURIComponent for individual parameter values, and encodeURI for complete URLs.
Does this tool handle Unicode in URLs?
Yes. This tool uses encodeURIComponent which converts Unicode characters to their UTF-8 byte sequences and then percent-encodes each byte. This handles any language or emoji correctly.
Is this tool free?
Yes. All KappaKit tools are free, run in your browser, and require no signup or account.