What is URL Encoding?

URL encoding (also called percent-encoding) converts characters into a format that can be transmitted over the Internet. URLs can only be sent over the Internet using the ASCII character set. URL encoding replaces unsafe ASCII characters with a "%" followed by two hexadecimal digits. It is not encryption — it is simply a way to make text safe for URLs.

When to Use URL Encoding

• Encoding query parameters with spaces or special characters
• Creating valid URLs for sharing or embedding
• Fixing broken links that contain unsafe characters
• Debugging API requests with encoded parameters

Examples

Encode: "hello world" → "hello%20world"

Encode: "price=$100&qty=3" → "price%3D%24100%26qty%3D3"

Decode: "hello%20world" → "hello world"