Component vs full-URL encoding
The classic bug: encoding a whole URL with encodeURIComponent destroys it (https%3A%2F%2F…), while encoding a query value with encodeURI leaves & unescaped and silently truncates the value at the server. Rule of thumb: values → Component, whole URLs → Full URL.
Frequently asked questions
When should I use Component vs Full URL mode?
Component mode (encodeURIComponent) encodes everything that has meaning in a URL — &, ?, /, #, = — so use it for individual query-string values. Full URL mode (encodeURI) keeps the URL structure intact and only encodes characters that can't appear at all, like spaces — use it to clean up a whole URL.
Why does + sometimes mean a space?
In HTML form submissions (application/x-www-form-urlencoded), spaces are historically sent as +. This tool's decoder treats + as a space in Component mode, matching what servers do with form data.
What does %20, %26, %3F mean?
Percent-encoding: % followed by the byte's hex value. %20 is a space, %26 is &, %3F is ?, %2F is /. Non-ASCII characters (like Devanagari) become multiple UTF-8 bytes — नेपाल encodes to %E0%A4%A8%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B2.
Is my text sent to a server?
No — encoding and decoding run entirely in your browser.