URL Encoder & Decoder

Encode and decode URLs and Base64 strings instantly.

Input

Output

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What is URL Encoding?

URL encoding, also known as percent-encoding, is a mechanism defined by RFC 3986 for representing special characters in a URI. Since URLs can only contain a limited set of ASCII characters, any character outside this set — such as spaces, ampersands, or non-ASCII characters — must be replaced with a percent sign (%) followed by two hexadecimal digits representing the character's byte value. This ensures that URLs remain valid and unambiguous when transmitted over the internet.

Base64 encoding serves a different but complementary purpose: it converts binary data into a text-safe ASCII string using a set of 64 characters (A-Z, a-z, 0-9, +, /). This is commonly used to embed binary content such as images, files, or cryptographic tokens into formats that only support text, like JSON payloads, HTTP headers, or data URIs.

URL Encoding vs Base64

URL Encoding (Percent-Encoding)

Replaces unsafe characters with %XX hex codes. Used when embedding values in URLs, query strings, and form data. Only encodes characters that are not URL-safe — the rest pass through unchanged.

Base64 Encoding

Converts all input bytes into a safe ASCII string using 64 characters. Used for embedding binary data in JSON, HTTP headers, email attachments, and data URIs. The entire input is transformed, not just special characters.

Common Characters That Need Encoding

space %20

& %26

= %3D

? %3F

/ %2F

# %23

+ %2B

FAQ

What's the difference between encodeURI and encodeURIComponent?

encodeURI preserves URL structure characters like :, /, and ?, making it suitable for encoding full URLs. encodeURIComponent encodes everything, including those structural characters, making it the right choice when encoding individual query parameter values.

Is Base64 encryption?

No. Base64 is an encoding scheme, not encryption. It transforms data into a text-safe format but provides no security — anyone can decode a Base64 string. Never use Base64 to protect sensitive information.

When should I URL encode?

You should URL encode when passing user input as URL parameters, building webhook callback URLs, or constructing API query strings. Any value that may contain special characters like spaces, ampersands, or equals signs needs to be encoded to avoid breaking the URL structure.

Working with webhook URLs?

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