What Is URL Encoding?
URL Encoding (Percent Encoding) is the process of converting special characters, spaces, and non-ASCII characters into a safe format for transmission over the Internet. Each character is converted into a code starting with % followed by its hexadecimal value: a space becomes %20, & becomes %26.
Difference Between encodeURIComponent and encodeURI
encodeURIComponent — Full Encoding
Encodes all characters except Latin letters, digits, and - _ . ! ~ * ' ( ). Used to encode URL parameter values such as ?q=hello world → ?q=hello%20world.
encodeURI — Partial Encoding
Encodes special characters but preserves URL structural characters like : / ? # @ ! $ & ' ( ) * + , ; =. Used to encode a complete URL without breaking its structure.
When Do You Need URL Encoding?
- Sending data with special characters or non-Latin text in URLs
- Building HTTP requests and API calls with parameters containing spaces or symbols
- Embedding links in HTML or JavaScript code
- Processing web form values and inputs
- Analyzing and fixing encoded or malformed URLs
URL Decoding
The tool also supports decoding encoded URLs back into readable text. Useful for analyzing network requests or debugging link issues in applications.