What is the difference between encodeURI and encodeURIComponent?

encodeURI encodes a complete URL and leaves characters like / ? & intact. encodeURIComponent encodes every special character and is used for individual query parameters.

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URL Encoder & Decoder

Text & PDF Tools

URL Encoder & Decoder

Q: When should I use URL encoding?

Use URL encoding when passing special characters (spaces, &, =, #, etc.) in query strings or path segments of a URL.

Q: Is my data saved anywhere?

No. All encoding and decoding happens locally in your browser. Nothing is sent to any server.

Encode special characters in URLs, decode percent-encoded strings, or encode a complete URL — all instantly in your browser.

100% Private Instant Encode & Decode 3 Modes

Encode & Decode URLs

Encode Component

Encodes every special character including / ? & =. Use this for individual query parameter values.

Input

Output

Input: 0 chars Output: 0 chars Size change: —

All encoding and decoding runs locally in your browser. Nothing is sent to any server.

How to Use

Choose a Mode

Encode Component, Decode, or Encode Full URL

Paste Your Text

Enter the URL or string to process

Click Convert

Result appears instantly in Output

Copy & Use

Copy the output and use it anywhere

3 Modes Explained

Encode Component

Uses encodeURIComponent() — encodes everything including / ? & = #. Best for query param values.

Decode

Uses decodeURIComponent() — converts percent-encoded text back to readable characters.

Encode Full URL

Uses encodeURI() — encodes a complete URL, leaving / ? & = # : intact.

Common Encodings

Character	Encoded	Name
Space	%20	Space
&	%26	Ampersand
=	%3D	Equals
+	%2B	Plus
#	%23	Hash
?	%3F	Question
/	%2F	Slash
@	%40	At sign
:	%3A	Colon
%	%25	Percent

Why Use a URL Encoder?

Safe URLs

Special characters in URLs can break requests — encoding fixes this

API Ready

Properly encode query params before sending to any API

Easy Decode

Read messy percent-encoded URLs in one click

Instant

No page reloads, no servers — works entirely in your browser

Frequently Asked Questions

What is URL encoding?

URL encoding converts special characters into a percent-encoded format — for example a space becomes %20 — so they can be safely included in a URL without breaking its structure.

What is the difference between Encode Component and Encode Full URL?

Encode Component (encodeURIComponent) encodes every special character including / ? & = # and is used for individual query values. Encode Full URL (encodeURI) leaves those structural characters intact and is used for complete URLs.

When should I use URL encoding?

Whenever you pass special characters like spaces, ampersands, or equals signs as part of a query string or path segment. This is especially important when building API requests or redirects.

Is my data saved anywhere?

No. All encoding and decoding happens entirely in your browser using JavaScript. Nothing is sent to any server.

Why does a space sometimes become + instead of %20?

In HTML form submissions, spaces are encoded as + (application/x-www-form-urlencoded). In strict percent-encoding (used in paths and modern APIs) spaces become %20. This tool uses strict percent-encoding.

Can I encode non-English characters?

Yes. Unicode characters like Hindi, Arabic, or Chinese are first converted to UTF-8 bytes, then each byte is percent-encoded — for example ñ becomes %C3%B1.

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