HTML Entities Encoder/Decoder
Encode special characters as HTML entities or decode them to readable text, ensuring your pages display correctly across browsers. GDPR-compliant.
Your inputs are processed in your browser and are not transmitted to our servers. Note: third-party resources (e.g. advertising and analytics from Google/Cloudflare) and an optional PayPal donation link may transfer data when loading or when clicked. Browser extensions or plugins may be able to read content that is visible in the input fields.
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How to use this tool (video)
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HTML Entities Encoder and Decoder
The HTML entities tool encodes special characters into safe HTML entities or decodes them back into readable text. This matters when you insert user-generated content into pages and want characters like &, < or > to be shown correctly.
Three modes
- Encode (base characters): converts the five most important characters such as &, <, >, quotes and the apostrophe.
- Encode (all special characters): additionally outputs all non-ASCII characters as numeric entities, for example ä for ä.
- Decode: named and numeric entities are converted back to normal characters.
The tool prevents unintended HTML interpretation and helps you produce safe, correctly rendered content. It runs entirely in your browser.
Frequently asked questions
Why should I encode HTML characters?
Encoded entities stop the browser from interpreting special characters as code. When you add user-generated content, encoding ensures that characters such as the ampersand or less-than are shown correctly as text and your page stays safe.
Which characters does each mode encode?
The base mode converts the five most important characters, including ampersand, less-than, greater-than, quotes and the apostrophe. The all characters mode also turns every non-ASCII character into a numeric entity.
What is the difference between named and numeric entities?
Named entities have a name such as copy or nbsp, while numeric entities consist of a number in the form #228. Browsers recognize both and convert them back to the normal character when decoding.
Does decoding change my text?
No. Decoding converts named and numeric entities back into the original characters. Your text stays unchanged in content and is simply displayed in a more readable way.
Are my contents uploaded anywhere?
No. The tool runs entirely in your browser. Your text is not transmitted to our server and is not stored anywhere.
Which mode should I choose for user-generated content?
For content that comes from other users, the all characters mode is the safest. It encodes many more characters and so protects against unintended HTML interpretation and potential security issues.