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How to URL Encode Text and URLs - Step by Step Guide

Step 1

Input Your Text or URL

Paste your content into the input area. The encoder handles special characters, spaces, and symbols that need to be percent-encoded for web use, consistent with RFC 3986 and the WHATWG URL Standard.

Example: Try This Text with Special Characters

Copy and paste this example to see how it works:

Hello World! How are you?
https://example.com/search?q=json to table&category=tools
Special chars: @#$%^&*()+=[]{}|;:'",.<>?
Spaces and symbols: cafe resume naive
Step 2

See Automatic URL Encoding

The tool instantly converts your text to URL-encoded format. This behavior is similar to encodeURIComponent() for query values, while still following URI syntax rules.

URL Encoded Output

Your text becomes this properly encoded format:

Hello%20World%21%20How%20are%20you%3F
https%3A//example.com/search%3Fq%3Djson%20to%20table%26category%3Dtools
Special%20chars%3A%20%40%23%24%25%5E%26*%28%29%2B%3D%5B%5D%7B%7D%7C%3B%3A%27%22%2C.%2F%3C%3E%3F
Spaces%20and%20symbols%3A%20cafe%20resume%20naive
Step 3

Copy or Download Your Encoded Text

Copy encoded text to clipboard or download as a file. The output is ready for GET requests, query parameters, and URLSearchParams workflows.

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Creating safe query parameters for web APIs and search URLs
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Encoding form data for HTTP requests
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Preparing URLs with special characters for web applications
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Encoding file names and paths for web servers

What is URL Encoding?

URL encoding is a method to encode special characters in URLs so they can be safely transmitted over the internet. This is part of the broader URI model used by browsers and servers.

For example, a space becomes %20, and an ampersand (&) becomes %26. This keeps URLs stable across clients and server frameworks.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is URL encoding used for?

URL encoding converts special characters into percent-encoded format (%XX) to ensure safe transmission in URLs and query strings.

Which characters need URL encoding?

Spaces, symbols, and non-ASCII characters usually need encoding. Reserved delimiters are defined in RFC 3986 section 2.2.

Can I encode entire URLs or just parameters?

You can encode both, but many workflows encode only values so URL structure stays readable. This is similar to encodeURI() versus encodeURIComponent().

Is URL encoding the same as HTML encoding?

No. URL encoding uses percent notation, while HTML encoding uses character entities. They solve different output and safety problems, including XSS-related contexts.

Is this URL encoder completely free?

Yes, completely free with no text length limits, no registration required, and unlimited usage.