What is URL encoding?
URLs can only contain a limited set of characters. Spaces, accented letters, emoji and symbols like &, ? or # must be percent-encoded: each byte becomes % followed by two hex digits. A space becomes %20, & becomes %26 and é becomes %C3%A9 (its UTF-8 bytes).
Which mode should I use?
| Mode | Use it for | Leaves unchanged |
|---|---|---|
| Component | A single query value or path segment — the safe default | Letters, digits and - _ . ! ~ * ' ( ) |
| Full URL | A whole URL with only a few bad characters (like spaces) | Also : / ? # [ ] @ & = + $ , |
| Form data | HTML form submissions (application/x-www-form-urlencoded) | Same as component, but spaces become + |
Common encoded characters
| Character | Encoded |
|---|---|
| space | %20 (or + in forms) |
| & | %26 |
| = | %3D |
| ? | %3F |
| # | %23 |
| / | %2F |
| + | %2B |
| @ | %40 |
Decoding URLs
Paste an encoded link — from analytics, an email redirect or a server log — and choose Decode to read it. If the input is a full URL, the tool also lists the protocol, host, path and each query parameter separately. Building tracking links? Use the UTM link builder. For binary data in URLs, see the Base64 encoder.
Frequently asked questions
What does %20 mean in a URL?
It is an encoded space character.
Should spaces be %20 or +?
%20 works everywhere. The + sign means a space only in query strings sent by HTML forms.
What is the difference between encodeURI and encodeURIComponent?
encodeURI keeps URL structure characters like / ? & =, while encodeURIComponent encodes them so a value can be safely placed inside a URL.
Why does decoding fail?
A % sign not followed by two valid hex digits makes the input invalid. Encode the % as %25.