About the Handiwork URL Encoder / Decoder
The URL Encoder safely percent-encodes and decodes URLs and their components with live results. Choose encode or decode, then pick whether you are working with a single component or a full URL — output updates instantly as you type, with a hint explaining the difference between the two scopes.
How to use the Handiwork URL Encoder / Decoder
- Choose Encode or Decode, then Component or Full URL.
- Paste your text or URL — results appear instantly.
- Copy the encoded or decoded output, or swap direction to reverse the conversion.
What is URL (percent) encoding?
URLs can only contain a limited set of characters, so spaces, accented letters, and symbols like & and ? must be replaced with percent-encoded equivalents (a space becomes %20). This keeps links and query strings from breaking when they contain reserved or unsafe characters.
Full URL vs. component encoding
Encoding a full URL preserves structural characters like ://, /, and ? so the link still works. Encoding a single component (such as a query value) escapes those characters too, which is what you want when inserting user input into a query string. The tool explains which scope is active and shows context-aware examples in the input placeholder.
Which JavaScript function is used for each mode
Component mode uses encodeURIComponent() / decodeURIComponent(), which escapes every character outside a small safe set — including /, ?, &, and = — so it is safe to drop the result straight into a query value. Full URL mode uses encodeURI() / decodeURI() instead, which leaves those structural and reserved characters alone so the link keeps working as a URL.
Reserved and unreserved characters
The URI specification splits characters into "unreserved" (letters, digits, and a few symbols like - _ . ~, never encoded) and "reserved" (characters such as : / ? # [ ] @ ! $ & ' ( ) * + , ; = that have structural meaning and are only encoded when they need to be treated as literal data rather than syntax).
Continue this workflow
Use the adjacent tool when the next step calls for a different input, output, or method.
Assumptions and limitations
- A malformed percent-encoded sequence (like a stray % not followed by two hex digits) causes decoding to fail with an error rather than guessing at the intended character.
- Full URL mode does not validate that the input is a well-formed URL — it only encodes or decodes the reserved-character set, so an already-broken URL stays broken.
- Some platforms encode spaces in query strings as + rather than %20 by convention (form submission); this tool always uses %20 and does not interpret + as a space when decoding.
Sources and standards
These authoritative references were used to verify the method and guidance on this page.
Frequently asked questions
When should I encode a URL component instead of the full URL?
Use Component mode when inserting a value (like a search term) into a query string, so characters such as & and = do not break the URL structure. Use Full URL mode when you need to encode an entire link while keeping ://, /, and ? intact.
Why does a space turn into %20 or +?
Spaces are not allowed in URLs. In paths they are encoded as %20, while in some query strings they may appear as +. This tool encodes them safely for you.
Do my inputs reset when I switch modes?
Yes. Switching between encode/decode or component/full URL clears the input so each mode starts fresh.
Why did decoding fail with an error?
The input contains a malformed percent-encoded sequence — for example a % that isn’t followed by two valid hex digits. Fix or remove the stray sequence and decoding will succeed.