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URL Encode / Decode

Encode or decode URLs and query strings

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What is URL Encode/Decode?

Free URL encoder and decoder. Encode special characters in URLs and decode encoded URL strings instantly. Supports both encodeURI and encodeURIComponent. Developer utilities built for web developers, software engineers, and programmers. TekPulse's URL Encode/Decode is completely free — no signup, no ads in results, and no data stored on our servers.

How to Use URL Encode/Decode Online

  1. Paste the URL or query string into the input field
  2. Click "Encode" to convert special characters to percent-encoded format (e.g. space → %20)
  3. Click "Decode" to convert percent-encoded characters back to readable text
  4. Use the "Full URL" mode to preserve slashes and colons while encoding only query parameter values
  5. Copy the result or use it directly in your API request or browser address bar

URL Encode/Decode Formula & Calculation

Percent-encoding: unsafe byte → %XX, where XX is the byte's hex value (UTF-8 encoded first for non-ASCII)

Reserved and unsafe characters are replaced with a '%' followed by their two-digit hexadecimal byte value. Non-ASCII characters are first converted to UTF-8 bytes, then each byte is percent-encoded separately — so one character can expand to multiple %XX groups.

Example: "hello world & café" → encodeURIComponent → "hello%20world%20%26%20caf%C3%A9". The space becomes %20, '&' (reserved in query strings) becomes %26, and 'é' — a 2-byte UTF-8 character (0xC3 0xA9) — becomes %C3%A9.

Key Factors That Affect Your Result

  1. encodeURIComponent vs encodeURI — encodeURIComponent escapes everything except A-Z a-z 0-9 - _ . ! ~ * ' ( ) — use it for individual query/path values. encodeURI preserves URL structural characters (: / ? # [ ] @ & = + $ , ;) — use it only when encoding a complete URL that must stay a valid URL.
  2. Reserved vs unreserved characters — RFC 3986 unreserved characters (letters, digits, - _ . ~) never need encoding. Reserved characters (: / ? # [ ] @ ! $ & ' ( ) * + , ; =) are structural in URLs and must be encoded when they appear inside a value, not as a delimiter.
  3. Double encoding — Encoding an already-encoded string turns '%20' into '%2520', breaking the URL. Always decode before re-encoding if you're not sure of the current state.

Why Use TekPulse URL Encode/Decode?

Runs Entirely in Your Browser
Encoding happens with JavaScript's built-in encode/decode functions — nothing is uploaded
Two Encoding Modes
Choose encodeURIComponent to escape every special character, or encodeURI to keep URL structure intact
Instant Decode with Error Feedback
Paste a percent-encoded string and see the decoded text immediately, with a clear message if it's malformed

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Related Guides

URL Encoding (Percent-Encoding) Explained

Frequently Asked Questions

URL encoding (percent encoding) converts special characters into a format that can be transmitted over the internet. Spaces become %20 or +, & becomes %26, = becomes %3D. Required because URLs can only contain certain ASCII characters.

Reserved characters (:, /, ?, #, &, =, +, @) and non-ASCII characters (Hindi, Chinese text) must be encoded. Safe characters (A-Z, a-z, 0-9, -, _, ., ~) do not need encoding.

encodeURI encodes a full URL, preserving :, /, ?, &, = etc. encodeURIComponent encodes a URL component (like a query parameter value), encoding ALL special characters including /, ?, &. Use encodeURIComponent for individual values.

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