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URL Encode

Encode text to URL quickly and privately. The conversion runs in your browser.

Input
Output
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Settings
Encode

What is URL?

URL encoding (also called percent-encoding) converts characters that are reserved or unsafe in URLs into a % followed by two hexadecimal digits. For example a space becomes %20 and & becomes %26. Defined by RFC 3986, it lets you safely pass values in query strings, form submissions and API requests without breaking the URL structure. This tool percent-encodes text into a URL-safe form instantly in your browser.

Runs locally: URL encoding happens in your browser; nothing is uploaded. It is a reversible encoding, not encryption.

How URL works

Percent-encoding replaces unsafe bytes with a % and their hexadecimal value:

  1. The text is converted to bytes (UTF-8).
  2. Unreserved characters (A–Z, a–z, 0–9 and - _ . ~) are left as-is.
  3. Every other byte is written as % followed by its two-digit hex value — for example a space (0x20) becomes %20 and & (0x26) becomes %26.
  4. Multibyte characters are encoded byte-by-byte, so é becomes %C3%A9.

How to use

  1. Enter or paste your text in the input box.
  2. The URL-encoded result appears instantly in the output.
  3. Click Copy to use the encoded value.

Examples

InputURL-encoded
hello worldhello%20world
a&b=ca%26b%3Dc
cafécaf%C3%A9
100%100%25

Options explained

  • Component vs full URL — Encode a single value (query parameter) more strictly than a whole URL, where some separators must stay literal.
  • Space as + — In application/x-www-form-urlencoded form data, spaces are encoded as + instead of %20.
  • Character set — Text is encoded as UTF-8 bytes before percent-encoding.

Common uses

  • Building query strings and passing values safely in URLs.
  • Submitting HTML form data (application/x-www-form-urlencoded).
  • Encoding parameters for REST API requests.
  • Including special characters in links without breaking them.

Frequently asked questions

What does URL encoding do?
It replaces reserved or unsafe characters (spaces, &, ?, =, #, and others) with %XX hex codes so the URL stays valid.
Why is a space %20?
Spaces are not allowed in URLs, so they are percent-encoded as %20 (and sometimes as + within query strings).
How do I reverse it?
Use the URL Decode tool to turn percent-encoded text back into the original.
What is the difference between %20 and +?
Both mean a space: %20 is standard percent-encoding; + is used specifically in form-encoded query data.