Why Is URL Encoding (Percent-Encoding) Necessary?
Uniform Resource Locators (URLs) may only be transmitted over the internet using the standard ASCII character-set. When a URL contains characters outside the ASCII set (such as spaces, ampersands, or non-English characters), those characters must be converted into a valid ASCII format via percent-encoding (% followed by a two-digit hexadecimal representation).
Key Differences: Component vs Full URI
- encodeURIComponent: Encodes almost all special punctuation (e.g.
/becomes%2F,?becomes%3F, and&becomes%26). Perfect for individual query string parameters like?name=John%20Doe. - encodeURI: Intended for complete addresses. It preserves protocol markers (
http://) and path separators (/), only encoding spaces and invalid unicode symbols. - Base64 URL: Converts raw strings into standard web-safe Base64 strings, often used in JSON Web Tokens (JWT) and web APIs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Under RFC 3986 percent-encoding standard, a space is encoded as
%20. In traditional HTML form submissions (application/x-www-form-urlencoded), a space may also be represented by a plus sign (+).
If a URL contains incomplete percent escapes (e.g.
%2 instead of %20), our tool will warn you with a malformed URI notice.
Frequently asked questions
What does URL Encoder / Decoder do?
Quickly encode or decode URLs and query parameters online for free. Supports encodeURI, encodeURIComponent, and Base64 URL mode with instant copy.
How do I use URL Encoder / Decoder?
Open URL Encoder / Decoder, enter or select the input requested by the tool, and use its controls to see the result.
Where can I find tools related to URL Encoder / Decoder?
Use the related tools below to explore more Web & Network tools.