Why do URLs need encoding?

URLs can only safely contain a limited set of characters; spaces and symbols like & or ? must be percent-encoded so they aren't misinterpreted as part of the URL structure.

It's the percent-encoded representation of a space character.

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URL Encoder / Decoder

Encode special characters for use in a URL, or decode an encoded URL.

Text or URL to encode

URL encoded

https%3A%2F%2Fexample.com%2Fsearch%3Fq%3Dtool%20forge%20%26%20more

Encoded text to decode

Decoded

https://example.com/search?q=tool forge

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About this tool

Convert spaces, symbols, and special characters into their percent-encoded URL-safe equivalents, or decode a percent-encoded URL back into readable text.

How to use this tool

1
Encode a URL or text
Type text with spaces or special characters in the first box.
2
Decode an encoded URL
Paste percent-encoded text in the second box.

Frequently asked questions

Why do URLs need encoding?: URLs can only safely contain a limited set of characters; spaces and symbols like & or ? must be percent-encoded so they aren't misinterpreted as part of the URL structure.
What does %20 mean?: It's the percent-encoded representation of a space character.

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