URL Encoder
Encode text for safe use in URLs. Converts special characters to %XX format.
Input
Output
About this tool
All data is processed locally in your browser. No information is sent to our servers.
About this tool
The URL encoder is an essential tool for web developers that allows converting text into a format safe for inclusion in URLs. Many special characters like spaces, accents, symbols, and non-ASCII characters are not allowed directly in URLs according to RFC 3986. This encoder converts these characters to their hexadecimal representation preceded by a percent sign (for example, a space becomes %20, ñ becomes %C3%B1). This process is fundamental when building query parameters, submitting forms, or working with APIs that require strictly formatted URLs. The tool supports full UTF-8 encoding, meaning it can correctly handle international characters, emojis, and any Unicode text. All processing occurs locally in your browser, ensuring that sensitive data is never sent to external servers. It's especially useful when working with systems that don't tolerate unencoded characters in their URLs.
Use cases
- Build query parameters for REST APIs
- Encode form data before submission
- Prepare text for use in dynamic links
- Encode international characters for URL-safe formats
Frequently asked questions
- Why do I need to encode URLs?
- URLs can only contain a limited set of ASCII characters. Characters like spaces, accents, and special symbols must be encoded to be valid in a URL according to RFC 3986.
- Which characters need encoding in a URL?
- Characters like spaces, accents (á, é, í, ó, ú, ñ), symbols (!@#$%^&*), and any non-ASCII characters. Basic alphanumeric characters (a-z, A-Z, 0-9) and some symbols (-, _, ., ~) don't need encoding.
- What's the difference between encodeURI and encodeURIComponent?
- encodeURI encodes special characters but leaves characters like :// intact for full URLs. encodeURIComponent encodes ALL special characters except alphanumerics, ideal for individual query parameters.
- Does the encoder handle UTF-8 characters correctly?
- Yes, this encoder uses encodeURIComponent which supports full UTF-8, so it can correctly encode international characters, emojis, and any Unicode text.