Why URLs need encoding
A URL can only contain a limited set of characters. Spaces, many symbols and all non-English letters must be converted into a safe form called percent-encoding, where each byte is written as % followed by two hex digits. A space becomes %20, & becomes %26 and the Hindi letter "क" becomes %E0%A4%95. Without encoding, a search term containing & would be split into two parameters and the link would not work as expected.
How to use the encoder
- Paste text or a URL into the input box.
- Choose Component mode to encode a single value, such as a search term or a parameter, or Full URL mode to make a whole link safe while keeping its structure.
- Click Encode or Decode.
- Tick Use + for spaces when working with HTML form data, where spaces are traditionally sent as plus signs.
Component vs full URL encoding
| Character | Component mode | Full URL mode |
|---|---|---|
| space | %20 | %20 |
& | %26 | kept |
/ | %2F | kept |
? and = | %3F, %3D | kept |
| é | %C3%A9 | %C3%A9 |
Use component mode for each value you insert into a URL, then join the pieces. Using full URL mode on a value that contains & would leave it unencoded and break the query string.
Frequently asked questions
Why do I see %25 in my URL?
%25 is an encoded percent sign. It usually means the text was encoded twice. Decode it twice to get the original.
What does "malformed URI" mean?
The text contains a % that is not followed by two valid hex digits, so it cannot be decoded.
Can I see each part of a URL separately?
Yes. Paste it into the URL Parser.