URL Encoder Decoder

What this tool does

This URL encoder and decoder turns spaces, non-ASCII characters and reserved symbols into %XX percent-encoding, and turns encoded text back into readable form. The important control is the scope switch. In component scope it uses encodeURIComponent and decodeURIComponent, which also encode the separators :, /, ?, # and &, so a single query-parameter value survives intact. In full-URL scope it uses encodeURI and decodeURI, which leave those structural characters alone so a whole link stays usable. The transformed result can be copied with one action. If a decode input contains an incomplete or invalid percent-escape sequence, the tool reports an error instead of guessing. It deliberately does not check whether a URL is valid, make a request, follow redirects or scan a link for safety; there is no Base64 conversion, query-string builder or parameter editor; there is no form-urlencoded plus-for-space conversion; and there is no batch or file processing. Whatever you paste and whatever comes out stays in your browser and is never uploaded to LocalTools.

How to use it

1. Paste a full URL or a single component value and choose encode or decode.
2. Set the scope: component uses encodeURIComponent/decodeURIComponent, full URL uses encodeURI/decodeURI.
3. Read the result and copy it; malformed percent-escape sequences are reported as an error.

Privacy

This tool runs entirely in your browser. Your input is never uploaded, stored or shared — closing the tab removes it.

Frequently asked questions

How do I encode a URL online?

Paste the text, pick encode, choose whether you are encoding one component or a whole URL, and copy the percent-encoded output. Everything runs in your browser.

What is the difference between encodeURI and encodeURIComponent?

encodeURIComponent also escapes :, /, ?, # and &, which is right for a query-parameter value. encodeURI keeps those separators so a complete link still works. The scope switch chooses between them.

What is URL encoding versus decoding?

Encoding replaces unsafe or reserved characters with %XX sequences; decoding turns those sequences back into the original characters. This tool does both, one direction at a time.

Should a space be %20 or a plus sign?

This tool always produces %20, following URI percent-encoding. The plus-as-space rule belongs to application/x-www-form-urlencoded form bodies, and that conversion is deliberately not offered here.

Can it check whether the URL works, or decode many links at once?

No. Decoding is a text transform, not a validity or safety check: the tool never requests the URL, follows redirects, parses parameters, converts Base64 or processes files and batches.