MyWebUtils: Free Online Dev Tools

What is URL Encoding (Percent-Encoding)?

URLs can only contain a specific set of characters from the standard ASCII character set. Any characters outside this set, or characters that have a special meaning within a URL (like `&`, `?`, `=`, and `/`), must be converted into a special format to be safely transmitted over the internet. This process is called URL encoding or percent-encoding.

In this format, unsafe characters are replaced by a `%` symbol followed by two hexadecimal digits that represent the character's ASCII value. For example, a space character ` ` is encoded as `%20`.

Why is it Necessary?

• Passing Data in Query Strings: When you send data through a URL's query string (the part after the `?`), values must be encoded. For example, a search for "cats & dogs" becomes `?q=cats%20%26%20dogs`. This prevents the `&` from being misinterpreted as a separator for another parameter.
• Handling Special Characters: Characters like `/`, `?`, `#`, and `&` have reserved purposes in URLs. Encoding ensures they are treated as literal text when they are part of data, not as URL delimiters.
• Supporting International Characters: Characters from other languages (like `é` or `你好`) are not part of the standard ASCII set and must be percent-encoded to be correctly interpreted by web servers.
• Decoding for Readability: When you receive an encoded URL, decoding it converts it back into a human-readable format, making it easier to understand and debug.

How This Tool Helps

• Encode: Takes any string of text and converts it into a safe, percent-encoded format suitable for use in a URL.
• Decode: Takes a percent-encoded string and converts it back to its original, readable form.
• Convenience: Provides a quick and easy way for developers to encode and decode URLs without having to write code or look up character codes manually.