Instantly convert your URLs and text into a web-safe format.
URL encoding, also known as percent-encoding, is the method used to convert special characters into a universally accepted format for web browsers and servers. Since URLs can only contain a specific set of ASCII characters, any character outside that set—like spaces, symbols (`&`, `?`, `#`), or non-English letters (`ñ`, `ü`)—must be encoded.
This process replaces the special character with a percent sign (`%`) followed by its two-digit hexadecimal code. For example, a simple space is converted to %20, and an ampersand (`&`) becomes %26.
Encoding is essential for a functional internet. It ensures data integrity and prevents URLs from breaking or being misinterpreted.
URL decoding is the reverse process: it translates the percent-encoded characters back into their standard form. For instance, it converts `%20` back into a space.
Spaces are not permitted within a URL's structure. The encoding standard replaces a space with `%20` because `20` is the hexadecimal value for the space character in the ASCII character set.
Yes, absolutely. Correct URL encoding is vital for technical SEO. It prevents broken links, ensures search engine bots can properly crawl and index your site, and helps avoid duplicate content penalties from URLs with ambiguous parameters.
These are two common JavaScript functions. encodeURI() is meant to encode a full URL and won't touch reserved characters that are essential to the URL's structure (like `/`, `?`, `&`). In contrast, encodeURIComponent() is designed for encoding parts of a URL, like a query parameter, and will encode those reserved characters. Our tool uses `encodeURIComponent` for the most robust encoding.