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URL Encoder

Encoding & Encryption · Free Online Tool

Percent-encode and decode URLs.

By EZ4Code Team

This tool runs interactively in your browser. Please visit ez4code.com/tools/url-encoder to use it.

How to Use URL Encoder

  1. 1Enter or paste your data into the input field.
  2. 2Select the desired encoding, hashing, or encryption options.
  3. 3Click the action button to process your data.
  4. 4Copy the result from the output field.

Features

  • ✓100% free — no signup, no subscription, no ads
  • ✓Runs entirely in your browser — data never leaves your device
  • ✓Fast and lightweight — instant results
  • ✓Cross-platform — works on desktop, tablet, and mobile

What is URL Encoder?

URL encoding (percent-encoding), defined by RFC 3986, converts characters that are not allowed in a URL into a % followed by two hexadecimal digits. Reserved characters (:, /, ?, #, [, ], @, !, $, &, ', (, ), *, +, ,, ;, =) and non-ASCII characters must be encoded when used outside their reserved purpose.

How does URL Encoder work?

Each character is encoded as UTF-8 bytes, then each byte that is not an unreserved character (A-Z, a-z, 0-9, -, _, ., ~) is converted to %XX form. Spaces are encoded as %20 in paths or + in query strings (application/x-www-form-urlencoded).

Common Use Cases

  • ✓Query parameters — pass special characters in URL search strings
  • ✓OAuth callbacks — encode redirect URIs
  • ✓REST API requests — encode path and query parameters
  • ✓International domains — encode non-ASCII characters (IDN)

URL Encoding vs Base64

URL encoding preserves URL structure (only encoding unsafe characters) while Base64 encodes the entire input. URL encoding is reversible in-place; Base64 changes the format entirely. Use URL encoding for web addresses; use Base64 for embedding binary data in text.

Security & Privacy

This tool runs entirely in your browser. URL encoding does NOT provide security — it only ensures characters are transport-safe. Never use it to hide sensitive data. For secure transmission use HTTPS; for data protection use encryption.

Technical Details

Standard: RFC 3986. Unreserved: A-Z a-z 0-9 - _ . ~. Reserved: : / ? # [ ] @ ! $ & ' ( ) * + , ; =. Percent-encoded: %XX (hex). Space: %20 (path) or + (query). Non-ASCII: UTF-8 bytes each encoded as %XX. JavaScript: encodeURIComponent() encodes all except A-Z a-z 0-9 - _ . ! ~ * ' ( ).

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between encodeURI and encodeURIComponent?

encodeURI preserves reserved URL characters (: / ? #) for full URLs. encodeURIComponent encodes everything except A-Z a-z 0-9 - _ . ! ~ * ' ( ), for use on individual query parameters.

Why is space encoded as %20 or +?

%20 is the RFC 3986 standard for paths. + is the application/x-www-form-urlencoded convention for query strings in HTML forms. Both are valid but context-dependent.

How are Chinese characters encoded in URLs?

Chinese characters are encoded as UTF-8 bytes, then each byte becomes %XX. For example, '中' (U+4E2D) becomes %E4%B8%AD (3 bytes).

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