URL Encoder and Decoder
A URL encoder and decoder converts text to and from percent-encoding, the format that links use for spaces and special characters. Paste text or a URL, choose encode or decode, and this free tool converts it instantly. It explains the difference between encoding a part of a URL and a whole URL, and shows where a broken sequence starts.
RFC 3986 Character Set Reference
A-Z, a-z, 0-9, - (hyphen), _ (underscore), . (dot), ~ (tilde)
: / ? # [ ] @ ! $ & ' ( ) * + , ; =
What is a URL encoder and decoder and when should you use it?
Links can only contain certain characters, so others are written as % followed by two hexadecimal digits; a space becomes %20. Encoding a part of a URL also encodes characters such as / and ?, while encoding a full URL keeps them. Build readable slugs with the URL Slug Generator, and see each part of an address with the URL Parser.
How do you use it?
- Paste your text or URL.
- Choose a mode.
- Read the result and any error message.
- Copy the result.
Working on a comprehensive technical audit? Browse all free SEO tools to discover the next step in your workflow, or contact our technical support team if you require a specialized custom utility.
Result interpretation & practical applications
When evaluating the output of the URL encoder and decoder, review the parsed metrics against your specific site architecture. Outputs are formatted for direct implementation into your HTML source, web server configuration, or Google Search Console audit files.
Always inspect generated values for contextual nuance. Automated tools highlight structural patterns, but manual verification confirms that technical directives align with your overarching SEO strategy.
Technical rules and limitations
- Reserved characters must be percent-encoded.
- Unreserved ASCII characters may be left as they are.
- Non-ASCII characters should be percent-encoded as UTF-8.
Google's URL structure best practices; the JavaScript functions are described on MDN for encodeURIComponent.
Common mistakes and troubleshooting
- Encoding a full URL with the "part" mode, which breaks its slashes.
- Encoding text twice.
- Treating + as a space outside form data.
No tool can promise how a search engine will crawl, index, or rank your pages. This tool generates and validates code against documented technical specifications; you determine where to deploy it, and you should always test changes on staging environments first. Google publishes extensive guidelines in Search Central on evaluating third-party SEO tools and advice. Learn more about our technical testing standards on our about us page, or explore full site audits on our pricing page.
Related free tools & workflows
Browse all Advanced On-Page SEO Tools →Technical SEO Audit Workflows
Indexability & Crawling
Redirects & HTTP Headers
Authoritative Technical Documentation & Standards
This tool executes logic aligned with official technical documentation and search engine webmaster standards:
- IETF RFC 3986 URI syntax standard
IETF RFC 3986: Uniform Resource Identifier (URI): Generic Syntax
Primary engineering source and technical documentation.
- Google Search Central URL structure guide
Google Search Central: URL Structure Guidelines for Google
Primary engineering source and technical documentation.
URL Encoder and Decoder questions
Part or full URL? ↓
Use "part" for a single value such as a search term, and "full URL" for a whole address.
Why does my result contain %25? ↓
The text was probably encoded twice.
Does it handle Bengali and emoji? ↓
Yes. They are encoded as UTF-8.
Is this tool free? ↓
Yes. It is completely free to use and requires no registration or subscription.
Does this tool visit my website or store my files? ↓
No. It executes entirely in your local browser runtime. Your inputs and results are never stored or logged on our servers.
Ready for the next step in your audit?
ToxicBacklink – Free SEO Tools & Backlink Checker builds fast, browser-based utilities for webmasters, developers, and SEO professionals. Each tool executes locally, shows exact modifications, and follows published specifications. Read more about us, check our how it works guide, browse all tools, or return to the home page.