URL Encoder - Convert Text to Percent-Encoded URL Format

 What Is URL Encoding? 

URL encoding, also called percent-encoding, converts characters that are unsafe or reserved in a web address into a format that can travel safely across the internet. Each affected character is replaced by a percent sign followed by two hexadecimal digits representing its byte value. A space becomes %20, an ampersand becomes %26, and a question mark becomes %3F. This is necessary because URLs may only contain a limited set of characters, and several of those characters already carry structural meaning within an address.

 How to Use This Tool 

1. Paste the text or URL you want to encode into the input field
2. Click the encode button
3. Copy the percent-encoded result

 Why Encoding Matters 

Certain characters serve a structural purpose inside a URL. A question mark separates the path from the query string, an ampersand separates one parameter from the next, and an equals sign joins a parameter name to its value. If those same characters appear inside a value you are passing, the server has no way to tell the difference between a delimiter and your data, and the request is parsed incorrectly. Encoding removes that ambiguity by disguising the character while preserving its meaning.

 Common Encoded Characters 

- Space becomes %20 (or a plus sign in form-encoded query strings)
- Ampersand & becomes %26
- Question mark ? becomes %3F
- Equals sign = becomes %3D
- Hash / fragment marker # becomes %23
- Forward slash / becomes %2F
- Plus sign + becomes %2B
- Percent sign % becomes %25

 When You Need This Tool 

- Passing search terms, email addresses, or file names as URL parameters
- Building UTM campaign links where a value contains spaces or symbols
- Handling non-English text such as Urdu or Arabic, which encodes as multi-byte UTF-8 sequences
- Debugging an API request that fails or returns the wrong result
- Constructing redirect URLs that carry another full URL as a parameter value

 Encoding the Whole URL vs a Single Value 

This distinction causes more broken links than any other aspect of encoding. If you pass a complete address through an encoder, the slashes, colon, and question mark that give the URL its structure will also be converted, and the result will no longer function as a link. In almost all cases, you should encode only the individual value you are inserting, not the address surrounding it. Encode the whole address only when you are embedding it as a parameter inside another URL, such as a redirect target.

 Frequently Asked Questions 

 Why did my link stop working after encoding it? 

You most likely encoded the entire URL rather than just one value inside it. Encoding the slashes and colon destroys the address structure. Encode only the parameter value you are inserting.

 Why does a space sometimes become a plus sign instead of %20? 

Both are valid, but in different contexts. Form-encoded query strings use a plus sign, while %20 is correct everywhere else, including path segments.

 Why does Urdu or Arabic text produce such long encoded strings? 

Characters outside the basic Latin set are stored as multiple bytes under UTF-8, and each byte becomes its own percent sequence. A single character can expand into three or more sequences.

 Is URL encoding a form of security? 

No. Encoding only changes how characters travel across a network — anyone can decode the result instantly. Never place passwords or sensitive data in a URL.

 Encoding and Decoding 

Encoding is fully reversible. A URL decoder converts percent sequences back into their original characters, which is useful for reading a long tracking link or checking what a server actually received. Note that encoding is not a security measure — it changes how characters are transmitted, not who can read them. Anyone can decode a percent-encoded string instantly, so it offers no protection for sensitive data.