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URL Encoder

Percent-encode text so it is safe inside a URL. The mode matters: encoding a whole address must leave its slashes and question mark intact, while encoding a single query value must escape them.

Use component for a single value, full URL for a whole address

Encoding is not encryption

Percent-encoding makes characters safe inside a URL; it hides nothing. Everything here runs in your browser and nothing is uploaded.

How to use this tool

  1. Paste the text or URL you want to encode.
  2. Choose Component for a single query value, or Full URL for a complete address.

Notes and limitations

  • Component mode escapes the characters that separate parts of a URL — & = ? / # — because inside a value they would otherwise be read as structure. This is what you want for a query parameter.
  • Full URL mode leaves those characters alone so the address still works, and only escapes things like spaces. Using component mode on a whole URL produces something unusable.
  • A space becomes %20. In the query string part of a URL a + also means a space, which is a historical quirk of HTML form submission rather than a general rule.
  • Non-ASCII characters are encoded as their UTF-8 bytes, so a single accented letter becomes two percent-escapes.
  • Everything runs in your browser and nothing is uploaded. That said, treat any third-party website with caution when handling production data — if a value would cause real damage if leaked, process it with your own local tooling instead.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between the two modes?

Component mode escapes everything unsafe including the URL's own separators, which is right for a value going inside a query string. Full URL mode preserves those separators so the address stays valid.

When do I need to URL-encode something?

Whenever a value going into a URL might contain a space, an ampersand, a question mark, a hash or non-Latin characters. Skipping it is a common source of parameters that silently truncate.

Is %20 the same as +?

Only inside a query string, where + has historically meant a space. In a path segment a + is a literal plus sign, so %20 is always the safer choice.

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