Pro Calculators and Guides
How to Encode and Decode URLs (Percent Encoding Explained)
Make text safe to put in a web address, or turn %20-style codes back into normal words. Includes the difference between encoding a whole link and a part.
Saizul Amin15 Oct 2026 · Updated 17 Oct 2026 · 1 min read
A web address can only contain a limited set of characters. Spaces, accents, Bangla letters and symbols such as & and ? must be written as % followed by two hexadecimal digits. This is percent encoding.
Quick answer
Paste text and choose Encode to make it safe for a URL, or Decode to turn %20-style text back into normal words. Choose whether to encode a whole link or only a part such as a search term.
Examples
| Text | Encoded |
|---|---|
hello world | hello%20world |
a&b=c | a%26b%3Dc |
café | caf%C3%A9 |
বাংলা | %E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%82%E0%A6%B2%E0%A6%BE |
Whole URL vs component
- Encode URL: keeps characters that give a link its structure (
:/?#&=) so the address still works. - Encode component: encodes those characters too. Use it for a query value, such as a search phrase that may contain
&.
Steps
- Paste your text.
- Choose encode or decode, and whole link or component.
- Copy the result.
Mistakes to avoid
- Encoding twice (
%2520). - Using component encoding on a whole URL, which breaks
https://. - Leaving a raw
&in a query value, which splits the parameter. - Forgetting that
+can mean a space in forms.
Where it is used
Query strings, redirect URLs, sharing links in messages and building links in code.
