URL Encoding in JavaScript
Learn URL encoding in JavaScript. Understand when to use encodeURI(), encodeURIComponent(), and handle special characters.
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JavaScript provides two built-in functions for URL encoding with different use cases.
encodeURIComponent()
Encodes everything except: A-Za-z0-9 - _ . ! ~ * ' ( ). Use this for query parameters and path segments.
encodeURI()
Preserves URL structure characters like : / ? # @ etc. Use this only for full URLs that already have valid structure.
Decoding
Use decodeURIComponent() and decodeURI() to reverse the encoding. Always decode before re-encoding to avoid double encoding.
Summary
Test your URL encoding with our free online URL Encoder/Decoder.