How to Encode URLs Online
Learn URL encoding step-by-step with practical examples. Master percent encoding, special characters, and query parameters using our free online URL encoder tool.
How to Encode Any URL in 4 Steps
Table of Contents
What is URL Encoding?
URL encoding (also called percent encoding) is a mechanism to encode information in URLs by replacing unsafe ASCII characters with a "%" followed by two hexadecimal digits representing the character's ASCII code.
How URL Encoding Works
Space becomes %20, exclamation mark becomes %21
Why URLs Need Encoding
URL Limitations
- • URLs can only contain ASCII characters
- • Certain characters have special meanings
- • Spaces and symbols can break URLs
- • Different systems handle characters differently
Encoding Benefits
- • Universal compatibility across browsers
- • Prevents parsing errors in servers
- • Handles international characters
- • Ensures URL integrity in transmission
What Happens Without Encoding?
The space in "hello world" breaks the URL without proper encoding.
Characters That Need Encoding
Reserved Characters
| Character | Encoded | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| ? | %3F | Query separator |
| & | %26 | Parameter separator |
| = | %3D | Key-value separator |
| # | %23 | Fragment identifier |
| / | %2F | Path separator |
Unsafe Characters
| Character | Encoded | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| (space) | %20 | Breaks URLs |
| " | %22 | Quote character |
| < | %3C | HTML tag start |
| > | %3E | HTML tag end |
| % | %25 | Encoding character |
International Characters
Non-ASCII characters must be UTF-8 encoded first, then percent encoded:
Practical Encoding Examples
Search Query Examples
File Path Examples
Query Parameter Encoding
Query parameters require special attention because they use reserved characters for structure.
Query Structure
- ? - Starts query string
- = - Separates keys from values
- & - Separates key-value pairs
- keys and values - Need encoding if they contain special characters
Complex Query Example
URL Encoding Best Practices
Do's
- Always encode user input in URLs
- Use built-in encoding functions
- Encode query parameter values
- Test with international characters
- Validate encoded URLs
- Use consistent encoding throughout
Don'ts
- Don't double-encode URLs
- Don't encode entire URLs unnecessarily
- Don't forget to decode when processing
- Don't encode URL structure characters
- Don't assume URLs are always ASCII
- Don't ignore encoding in APIs
Programming Language Examples
// Returns: Hello%20World%21
urllib.parse.quote("Hello World!")
Common URL Encoding Mistakes
1. Double Encoding
Encoding already encoded URLs leads to incorrect results.
2. Encoding URL Structure
Don't encode the protocol, domain, or path separators.
3. Forgetting to Decode
Always decode URLs when processing them server-side.
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