Should I encode an entire URL or just one value?

Encode individual query values, not the whole URL. Encoding the full address escapes characters such as the scheme colon and path slashes that must stay as-is.

Is this the same as Base64 encoding?

No. URL encoding (percent-encoding) escapes characters that are unsafe in a URL, while Base64 re-encodes bytes into a different alphabet entirely. They solve different problems.

URL Encoder/Decoder

Convert plain text into a percent-encoded URL component, or decode an already-encoded string back to readable text. Useful for building query parameters or reading values pulled from a URL.

encodeURIComponent (Full encoding)

encodeURI (Keep URL structure)

Input

Result

Difference

encodeURIComponent: Encodes all special chars (for query params)

encodeURI: Keeps URL structure chars (: / ? # etc)

How to use

Paste the text or the encoded component you want to convert.
Choose encode or decode.
Copy the resulting text.

Frequently asked questions

Should I encode an entire URL or just one value?: Encode individual query values, not the whole URL. Encoding the full address escapes characters such as the scheme colon and path slashes that must stay as-is.
Is this the same as Base64 encoding?: No. URL encoding (percent-encoding) escapes characters that are unsafe in a URL, while Base64 re-encodes bytes into a different alphabet entirely. They solve different problems.

Privacy

Text is encoded and decoded in your browser and never sent to a server.