HTML Encode & Decode

Encode special characters to HTML entities or decode HTML entities back to readable text. Essential for web development and content display.

How to Use

  1. Enter text or HTML entities
  2. Click Encode or Decode
  3. View converted result
  4. Copy for use in HTML

About This Tool


HTML encoding converts special characters to their HTML entity equivalents. Characters like <, >, &, and " have special meaning in HTML, so they must be encoded to display correctly as text.

The tool converts < to &lt;, > to &gt;, & to &amp;, and " to &quot;. This prevents browsers from interpreting these as HTML tags or attributes, ensuring they display as intended.

HTML decoding reverses this process, converting entities back to their original characters. This is useful when extracting text from HTML or debugging display issues where entities appear instead of characters.

Beyond basic characters, the tool handles extended entities like &nbsp; (non-breaking space), &copy; (©), and numeric entities like &#8212; (em dash). Both named and numeric entity formats are supported.

FAQ

What is an HTML entity?
An HTML entity is a text sequence that represents a character. For example, &lt; represents < and &amp; represents &.
Why encode HTML?
Encoding prevents browsers from interpreting text as HTML code. It's essential for displaying code snippets and preventing XSS attacks.
What's the difference between named and numeric entities?
Named entities like &copy; are readable. Numeric entities like &#169; use Unicode code points. Both represent the same character.
Does it encode all characters?
Only characters that conflict with HTML syntax are encoded. Regular letters and numbers pass through unchanged.
Can I use this for security?
HTML encoding is one layer of XSS prevention. Always combine with proper output encoding in your web application framework.