What is URL encoding?
URL encoding (also called percent-encoding) converts special characters into a safe format for URLs.
For example, a space becomes %20 (or sometimes + in query strings).
DEVELOPER TOOLS
URL Decode / Encode 🔗
Percent-encode URLs and special characters or decode encoded text with a fast browser-based converter.
Percent-encodingQuery string toolsRuns locally
Use this free URL encoder and URL decoder to convert text into percent-encoding
(like %20) or decode an encoded URL back to readable text. Everything runs in your browser for speed and privacy.
Free • Private • Runs in your browser
Ctrl / Cmd + Enter = Decode
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Output
URL Decode / Encode FAQ
What’s the difference between %20 and + ?
%20 is the standard encoding for spaces in URLs. In many web forms and query strings,
spaces are encoded as +. If you’re decoding query parameters, keep + as space enabled.
When should I use “Encode all (RFC3986)”?
Some systems prefer stricter encoding where characters like ! ' ( ) *
are also encoded. Enable Encode all if you need fully RFC3986-style output.
Why does URL decoding sometimes fail?
A URL can contain malformed percent sequences (like %ZZ) or incomplete escapes (like a trailing %).
This tool tries to give a clear error if the input is not valid percent-encoding.
What does percent-encoding change?
Percent-encoding replaces characters that need escaping in URLs with a percent sign and a hexadecimal byte value, for example a space becomes %20.
Can this tool decode malformed URL escapes?
No. Invalid escape sequences can cause decoding to fail. Fix incomplete percent sequences or invalid UTF-8 and try again.
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