URL Encoder

Encode URLs and special characters for safe use in web applications. Perfect for encoding query parameters, form data, and API requests.

Input
Enter the URL or text to encode
Output
Encoded URL

What is URL Encoding?

URL encoding, also known as percent-encoding, is a mechanism for encoding information in Uniform Resource Identifiers (URIs). It's essential for preparing data of the application/x-www-form-urlencoded media type, commonly used in HTML form submissions and HTTP requests.

Why Do We Need URL Encoding?

URLs can only contain certain characters from the standard ASCII character set. Special characters and non-ASCII characters must be encoded to ensure reliable data transmission across different systems and platforms.

Common Use Cases:

  • Encoding query parameters in URLs
  • Submitting form data via HTTP
  • Passing special characters in API requests
  • Encoding spaces and reserved characters

How Does It Work?

URL encoding converts special characters into a standardized format using their ASCII byte values represented as hexadecimal digits, preceded by a percent sign (%).

Examples:

  • Space character becomes %20
  • Forward slash / becomes %2F
  • Question mark ? becomes %3F
  • Ampersand & becomes %26
  • Equals sign = becomes %3D

Character Categories

Reserved Characters

These characters have special meaning in URIs and must be encoded when used as data: ! * ' ( ) ; : @ & = + $ , / ? # [ ]

Unreserved Characters

These characters never require encoding: A-Z a-z 0-9 - _ . ~

Other Characters

All other characters, including non-ASCII characters and special symbols, must be percent-encoded for safe transmission.

Example

Original: https://example.com/search?q=hello world&category=books

Encoded: https://example.com/search?q=hello%20world&category=books

The space in "hello world" is encoded as %20 to ensure the URL is valid and properly interpreted by web servers.