URL Encoder / Decoder

Why Encode URLs?

URLs can only contain a limited set of characters (ASCII alphanumeric). Characters outside this set (like spaces, emojis, or foreign letters) or reserved characters (like &, ?, /) used in specific contexts must be converted into a valid format using percent-encoding (e.g., a space becomes %20).

Common Encoded Characters

• Space ( ): Encoded as %20 or +. Used to separate words.
• Slash (/): Encoded as %2F. Critical when passing a URL as a parameter inside another URL.
• Ampersand (&): Encoded as %26. Used to separate query parameters.
• Question Mark (?): Encoded as %3F. Indicates the start of a query string.

When to use this?

• Query Parameters: When sending data in a URL (like `?q=hello world`).
• Debugging: Reading complex API calls that look like gibberish.
• Security: Ensuring user inputs are safe and interpreted correctly by the server.