Small Things Sorted

URL encode and decode

For a single value or for a whole address – the difference matters.

What you type is processed in your browser and never sent to us.

How to do it

  1. Pick a direction and scope

    Value or whole address – this is the choice that matters.

  2. Paste your input

    The result updates immediately.

  3. Copy it

    Ready for the query string.

What this is for

Anything that goes into a web address has to be encoded, or a stray ampersand ends the parameter early and the rest is lost.

The important choice is scope. A single value should have everything encoded, including slashes and question marks. A whole address must keep them – otherwise the address stops being one.

Common questions

If you are filling in one parameter, choose the value. If you are cleaning up a complete link, choose the address.

A percent sign has to be followed by two hex digits. A lone % is not valid and is reported rather than guessed at.

Usually a lone percent sign is sitting in the text, or a percent sequence is incomplete. A literal percent sign has to be written as %25 itself.

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