URL Encoder / Decoder
Encode or decode URLs and query strings instantly. Perfect for working with special characters, spaces, and URL parameters.
💡 When to Use URL Encoding
- Query Parameters: Encoding values in URL query strings (e.g., ?search=hello world)
- Special Characters: Handling &, =, ?, #, %, and other reserved characters
- Spaces: Converting spaces to %20 or + for URL-safe transmission
- API Requests: Preparing data for GET requests with URL parameters
- Form Data: Encoding form submissions sent via URL
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do I need to encode a URL?
URLs can only contain a limited set of ASCII characters. Special characters like spaces, ampersands, hash symbols, and non-Latin letters must be percent-encoded (e.g. space becomes %20 or +) so they can be transmitted safely in HTTP requests without breaking URL structure.
What characters need to be URL encoded?
Characters outside the unreserved set must be encoded. Unreserved characters (never need encoding): A–Z, a–z, 0–9, hyphen (-), underscore (_), period (.), tilde (~). Everything else — spaces, &, =, ?, #, /, @, :, and non-ASCII characters — should be percent-encoded.
What is the difference between %20 and + for spaces?
%20 is the correct percent-encoding for a space in any part of a URL. The + sign represents a space only in the query string (application/x-www-form-urlencoded format, as used in HTML forms). Use %20 when constructing URLs manually; use + only if your target system specifically expects it.
When should I decode a URL?
Decode a URL when you receive an encoded string and need to read it as human-readable text, or when you're passing a URL as a parameter inside another URL (double-encoding issues). Developers often need to decode URLs when debugging API requests or analytics data.
Does URL encoding affect SEO?
Google can handle both encoded and decoded URLs. However, using readable URLs (decoded, with hyphens between words) is better for SEO and user experience. Avoid URLs with excessive percent-encoding in slugs — use clean, lowercase, hyphenated words instead.