What Is URL Encoding?
Browsers and servers convert special characters — spaces, slashes, emoji, non-ASCII text — into percent-encoded sequences like %20, %2F, or %E4%B8%AD. This makes URLs safe to transmit but completely unreadable to humans.
When Do You Need This?
Reading redirect logs, debugging UTM parameters, decoding API callback URLs, inspecting affiliate links, or understanding what a tracking pixel is actually sending.
Decode vs. Encode
Decode — turns %20 → space. Use when reading URLs. Encode — turns special chars into percent sequences. Use when building URLs or embedding them inside other URLs.
Double-Encoded URLs
Sometimes URLs are encoded twice: %2520 is %25 (the % sign) followed by 20. This tool detects and flags double-encoding so you know to decode twice.
Privacy & Security
100% client-side. Your URLs never leave your browser. No logging, no analytics on inputs. Safe to use with sensitive API tokens and private tracking links.