URI Percent-Encoding Explained: How to Handle Special Characters in Web Links

What is URL Percent-Encoding?

URLs can only contain a limited set of ASCII characters. Characters outside this set (such as spaces, ampersands, question marks, and non-Latin symbols) must be encoded using percent-encoding (`%` followed by two hexadecimal digits) to prevent broken links.

Use our URL Encoder & Decoder Tool to sanitize URLs before sharing or making API calls.

Common Percent-Encoded Characters

• Space: Encoded as `%20` or `+`.
• Ampersand (&): Encoded as `%26`.
• Question Mark (?): Encoded as `%3F`.
• Slash (/): Encoded as `%2F`.

How to Encode & Decode URLs

1. Open the URL Encoder & Decoder page.
2. Paste your target URL string into the box.
3. Click "Encode URL" or "Decode URL" to generate a valid URI.