💻 HTML Encoder
Encode or decode HTML entities safely. Useful for developers displaying code or user input on web pages. Free, unlimited, private — works entirely in your browser.
How to use
- Paste or type your raw HTML code into the input box — anything with <, >, & or quotes.
- Choose Encode to convert special characters into safe HTML entities (e.g. < becomes <), or Decode to convert entities back to plain characters.
- Click the Encode or Decode button to process your text instantly in your browser.
- Copy the result with one click, or download it as a .txt file to use in your project.
FAQ
Is it really free?
Yes — every tool on this site is 100% free with no limits, no signup and no watermarks.
Is my data private?
Absolutely. All processing happens locally in your browser. Your files are never uploaded to any server.
What does HTML encoding actually do?
HTML encoding converts special characters like <, >, &, " and ' into HTML entities such as <, >, &, " and '. This stops the browser from treating your text as markup, which is essential when displaying user input or code samples on a web page.
When should I encode instead of decode?
Encode when you want to display code or raw text safely inside HTML — for example showing <div> as visible text in a tutorial. Decode when you have entity-encoded text (like &) and want the original characters back for editing or processing.
Does this protect against XSS attacks?
Encoding user input before inserting it into HTML is one of the standard defenses against cross-site scripting (XSS). However, proper XSS protection also depends on context (HTML body, attributes, JavaScript) — encoding alone is not a complete security solution for untrusted data.
Which characters get encoded?
The tool encodes the five characters that are significant in HTML: ampersand (&), less-than (<), greater-than (>), double quote (") and single quote ('). Named entities are used where standard (&, <, >, ") and numeric entities elsewhere.
HTML Encoder — Complete Guide
Displaying raw code or user-generated text on a web page sounds simple, but one misplaced < can break your entire layout — or worse, open a security hole. The HTML Encoder converts special characters into HTML entities, the safe textual representations browsers display literally instead of interpreting as markup.
How it works
When you click Encode, every significant character is replaced: & becomes &, < becomes <, > becomes >, and quotes become " or '. The ampersand is always encoded first, because encoding it last would double-encode the entities you just created. Decoding reverses the process, turning entities back into their original characters.
Common use cases
- Blogging and tutorials: show HTML, CSS or JavaScript snippets as readable text inside
<pre>or<code>blocks without the browser executing them. - Comment systems and forums: encode user-submitted content before rendering so a comment containing
<script>appears as harmless text. - Email templates: many email clients mangle raw angle brackets; entities survive the trip intact.
- CMS content migration: decode entities when moving content between systems that store text differently.
Tips for best results
Encode once, at the point of output — encoding already-encoded text produces visible garbage like &lt;. If you are building a site with a framework, check whether it auto-escapes output (React, Vue and most templating engines do); manual encoding is mainly needed for vanilla HTML/JS or legacy systems. For large documents, encode in chunks so you can spot-check the output, and always test the rendered page in a real browser rather than trusting the raw source view.
Encoding vs. escaping in JavaScript
Note that HTML entity encoding is different from JavaScript string escaping or URL encoding — each targets a different parser. Use this tool for HTML contexts; for URLs use the URL Encoder, and for JavaScript strings rely on JSON.stringify or your framework's built-in escaping. Mixing them up is a classic source of double-encoding bugs.