What is URL encoding?

URL encoding replaces unsafe characters with % followed by hex digits. Spaces become %20, & becomes %26.

Why do URLs need encoding?

URLs can only contain certain ASCII characters. Special characters must be encoded to be valid.

What characters need encoding?

Spaces, &, =, ?, #, %, +, and all non-ASCII characters need URL encoding.

What is the difference between encodeURI and encodeURIComponent in JavaScript?

encodeURI encodes a full URL, preserving characters like :, /, and ?. encodeURIComponent encodes everything except letters and digits, suitable for encoding individual query parameter values.

Why do spaces become %20 or + in URLs?

In URL path segments, spaces are encoded as %20. In query strings (application/x-www-form-urlencoded), spaces can be encoded as +. Both represent a space but are used in different URL contexts.

URL Encoder/Decoder

Encode and decode URLs and query strings

Input

Output

URL Encoding

URL encoding converts characters into a format that can be transmitted over the Internet. Special characters are replaced with a % followed by their hex value.

encodeURI: Encodes a complete URL, preserving special characters like : / ? & =

encodeURIComponent: Encodes everything including special characters. Use for query parameters.

Common Encodings

Space → %20 or +

& → %26

= → %3D

? → %3F

/ → %2F

URL Encoder/Decoder

URL Encoding

Common Encodings

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