ToolBirch

URL Encoder / Decoder

Percent-encode or decode text and URLs, with strict and permissive modes.Developer Tools

URL Encoder / Decoder

Percent-encode or decode text and URLs. Encode whole URLs with encodeURI, or every reserved character with encodeURIComponent.

Result

About this tool

Query parameters, UTM links and file names all need percent encoding eventually. Choose strict mode to escape every reserved character for a parameter value, or permissive mode to keep the URL structure intact.

How to use the URL Encoder tool

  1. Pick a direction. Encode turns text into percent escapes; Decode turns them back.
  2. Choose the mode. Strict (encodeURIComponent) escapes everything a single parameter needs; permissive (encodeURI) preserves ://?& structure.
  3. Copy the result. The output updates as you type and can be copied with one click.

Supported formats

Input

  • Plain text
  • Percent-encoded text

Output

  • Percent-encoded text
  • Decoded UTF-8 text

Inputs are validated before anything is processed. Invalid values and unsupported files are rejected with a clear error instead of failing silently.

Frequently asked questions

Which mode should I use?

Strict for a single parameter value or path segment; permissive when you want to encode a complete URL but keep its separators readable.

Why does decoding fail?

A stray percent sign such as %zz is not a valid escape. The tool reports the malformed sequence instead of guessing.

Are spaces plus-signs?

No. Spaces become %20 as encodeURIComponent specifies; the + convention belongs to form encoding and is not used here.

Does non-Latin text work?

Yes. Characters are encoded through UTF-8, so multibyte letters round-trip correctly.

Privacy

Everything you enter stays in this browser tab. There is no upload endpoint for tool inputs, no account, and no server-side copy of your text or files. Results are produced locally and disappear when you close the page.

No account is required and no file is ever uploaded. See the privacy policy for details about analytics and the limited data this site stores.

Known limitations

  • Form-style + encoding for spaces is not produced or interpreted.
  • Punycode and IDN domains are not processed.
  • Malformed percent sequences stop decoding with an error rather than being passed through.

Related tools

Other free tools from the same collection.

Base64 Encoder / DecoderEncode text to Base64 or decode it back, with correct UTF-8 handling.JSON to YAMLConvert a JSON document into clean, correctly indented YAML.Regex TesterTest JavaScript regular expressions with live match highlighting.Hash GeneratorCompute SHA-1, SHA-256, SHA-384 and SHA-512 digests of any text.