Overview
Use this tool when plain text must be embedded safely in a URL. It converts characters such as spaces, question marks, ampersands, slashes, and non-ASCII text into percent-encoded form so links and parameters stay valid. This is especially useful when building query strings, preparing path segments, or passing user-entered text into APIs. The output preserves the original meaning while making the string safe for URL transport and parsing.
Use cases
- Search query in a parameterTurn a user search like café & tea into a safe parameter value for a results page or API request.
- Prepping a redirect targetEncode a destination URL before placing it inside another URL so nested parameters are not broken.
- Encoding file or page namesConvert spaces and punctuation in a path segment such as summer photos 2024 into URL-safe form.
- Sending form text to an endpointEncode entered notes, tags, or labels before attaching them to a GET request or callback URL.
How it works
- 1
Enter the text you want to encode.
- 2
The tool converts reserved characters into percent-escaped bytes.
- 3
Copy the encoded result into a URL, parameter value, or request string.
Examples
Search query with symbols
Input: laptop stand?brand=acme & co
Output: laptop%20stand%3Fbrand%3Dacme%20%26%20co
Spaces and reserved punctuation are escaped so the query can be safely inserted into a URL.
Non-ASCII product name
Input: crème brûlée
Output: cr%C3%A8me%20br%C3%BBl%C3%A9e
Accented characters are encoded as UTF-8 bytes before being percent-escaped.
Path segment with slashes
Input: reports/2024 Q3
Output: reports%2F2024%20Q3
A slash inside a segment is encoded so it is not treated as a path separator.
FAQ
What characters get encoded first?
Reserved URL characters such as spaces, ?, &, =, #, /, and non-ASCII letters are encoded so they can be carried safely inside a URL.
Why does a space become %20 instead of a plus sign?
%20 is the standard percent-encoded form for a space. A plus sign is mainly used in application/x-www-form-urlencoded form submissions, not in every URL context.
Can I encode a whole URL here?
Yes, but be careful: encoding an entire URL also escapes separators like : and /. That is only correct when the full URL must be embedded inside another parameter value.
Why do encoded results sometimes look longer?
Characters outside the safe URL set are expanded into percent-escaped bytes, so the output can be noticeably longer than the original text.
What is the most common mistake?
Users often encode the entire address when they only need one parameter value. For normal links, encode only the piece that will be inserted into the URL.