How to decode or encode a URL
- Choose Decode to make an encoded link readable, or Encode to make text safe for a link.
- Paste the link or text into the first box. The result appears as you type.
- When you paste a full link, the table below lists its address, path and every query parameter, already decoded.
What URL encoding does
Web addresses can only contain a limited set of characters. Everything else, such as spaces, accented letters and symbols like & or ?, is written as a percent sign followed by a code. A space becomes %20, é becomes %C3%A9, and & becomes %26.
- Use Everything when encoding a single value that goes after = in a link, such as a search term. It also encodes /, ?, & and =, so they can't break the link.
- Use Spaces and symbols only when encoding a whole link that should keep working, since it leaves :, /, ? and & alone.
- Turn on + means a space for data from web forms, which write spaces as + instead of %20.
Frequently asked questions
Is my link sent anywhere?
No. Encoding and decoding happen in your browser, so links with private tokens or tracking codes stay on your device.
Why do I get an error when decoding?
A percent sign has to be followed by two hexadecimal characters, like %2F. A lone % or one followed by other characters, such as 100%, can't be decoded. Encode the text first, which turns % into %25.
What is the difference between %20 and +?
Both stand for a space. %20 works anywhere in a link, while + only means a space in the query part after the ?, where web forms use it.