Query values
Encoding prevents spaces, ampersands and symbols from breaking query strings or request URLs.
Browser-based developer tools
URL Encoder
Encode and decode URL components, query values and percent-encoded text locally in your browser.
Reference notes
Escaping values for URLs and APIs
Percent encoding
Decoded output helps inspect copied links, redirect URLs and API callback parameters.
Component based
Formalint uses component encoding, which is appropriate for query values and path fragments.
Frequently asked
URL encoding questions
Why do spaces become %20 or +?
Percent-encoding replaces reserved and unsafe characters with a % followed by the character's hex code. Query strings sometimes use + for spaces instead, depending on the encoding context, which this tool distinguishes between.
Which characters need encoding in a URL?
Reserved characters like &, =, ?, #, and space, along with any non-ASCII characters, need encoding when they appear inside a query parameter value to avoid being misread as part of the URL structure.
Why does double-encoding break my link?
Encoding an already-encoded string turns a % into %25, corrupting the value. This is a common bug when a value passes through more than one layer of URL building without checking whether it was already encoded.