Question 1

What's the difference between encodeURIComponent and encodeURI?

Accepted Answer

encodeURIComponent encodes every URL-special character (including / : ? # & =) and is the right tool for path or query *components*. encodeURI keeps URL-structural characters intact and is meant for whole URLs.

Question 2

When do I need URL encoding?

Accepted Answer

Whenever a value contains characters that have special meaning in a URL — spaces, &, =, +, /, ?, #, or non-ASCII text. Encode each component before embedding it in the path or query string.

Question 3

Is my URL sent anywhere?

Accepted Answer

No. Encoding, decoding and parsing all happen locally in your browser; nothing is sent to any server.

Mode	Input	Apply
Encode	hello world & more
Encode	name=John Doe&city=New York
Decode	hello%20world%20%26%20more
Decode	name%3DJohn%20Doe%26city%3DNew%20York
Parse URL	https://example.com/search?q=hello+world&lang=en
Parse URL	https://api.example.com/v1/users?page=2&limit=10#results

URL Encoder

Examples