About URL Encoder

Encode strings for safe URL usage. Part of the DevTools Surf developer suite. Browse more tools in the Text / String collection.

Use Cases

• Encoding search queries for API URL construction
• Sanitizing file names with spaces for download URLs
• Preparing redirect URIs for OAuth callback parameters
• Encoding internationalized domain name path segments

Tips

• Encode query parameter values to handle special characters
• Use this before embedding user input into URL strings
• Verify the encoded output matches expected percent-encoding

Fun Facts

• Percent-encoding was defined in RFC 1738 in 1994 as part of the original URL specification by Tim Berners-Lee.
• The space character can be encoded as either %20 or + depending on context; %20 is used in paths while + is used in query strings.
• RFC 3986 (2005) defines 84 'unreserved' characters that never need encoding, including A-Z, a-z, 0-9, hyphen, period, underscore, and tilde.

FAQ

When do I encode a URL?

When building query strings, path segments, or hash fragments that may contain special characters (&, =, #, space, non-ASCII). Unencoded specials can break URL parsing.

Which characters need encoding?

Reserved: `! * ' ( ) ; : @ & = + $ , / ? # [ ]` (only encode in contexts where they're special). Unsafe: space, control chars, non-ASCII. The tool encodes based on the target context.

What's the difference between encodeURI and encodeURIComponent?

encodeURI preserves URL structure (leaves /, ?, &). encodeURIComponent is aggressive (escapes them). Use component for query values; use URI for full URLs you want to sanitize without breaking.

Does it encode `+` for spaces?

Toggle — for form-encoded values (application/x-www-form-urlencoded) yes. For standard URLs, use `%20`. Default matches the standard.