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HTML Encoder / Decoder

Convert special characters to HTML entities to safely embed text in HTML, or decode entities back to plain text. Prevents XSS by escaping <, >, &, ", and '. Runs entirely in your browser.

Encode:
Plain Text / HTML 0 chars
Encoded Output 0 chars
Enter text or HTML to begin.
📊 Stats
0
Input chars
0
Output chars
0
Entities found
—
Size ratio
📖 Common HTML Entities
<&lt;
>&gt;
&&amp;
"&quot;
'&#39;
©&copy;
®&reg;
→&rarr;
 &nbsp;
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What are HTML Entities?

HTML entities are special text sequences used to represent characters that have special meaning in HTML — like < (less-than, which starts a tag), > (greater-than), & (ampersand, which starts an entity), and " (double quote, used in attribute values). Without encoding these characters, a browser would misinterpret them as HTML markup.

An HTML entity begins with & and ends with ;. Entities can be named (&lt;) or numeric decimal (&#60;) or numeric hex (&#x3C;).

Why Encode HTML?

  • XSS Prevention — encoding user-supplied input before inserting it into HTML prevents cross-site scripting attacks where malicious <script> tags could execute in other users' browsers.
  • Display literal characters — if you want to show <div> as visible text rather than having the browser interpret it as a tag, encode it to &lt;div&gt;.
  • Special symbols — characters like ©, ®, →, and non-breaking spaces are safely represented as named entities.

Frequently Asked Questions

Basic mode only encodes the five characters that are dangerous in HTML: < > & " '. This is equivalent to PHP's htmlspecialchars() and is sufficient for XSS prevention. Full mode additionally encodes all non-ASCII characters (accented letters, emoji, etc.) to their numeric entities, ensuring the output is pure ASCII — useful for environments with charset limitations.
HTML entity encoding prevents XSS when inserting untrusted content into HTML text nodes. However, different injection contexts require different escaping strategies: JavaScript strings need JS escaping, URL attributes need URL encoding, and CSS values need CSS escaping. Always apply context-appropriate escaping, and consider using a Content Security Policy (CSP) as an additional layer of defence.
Named entities like &copy; are more readable and widely recognised. Numeric entities (decimal like &#169; or hex like &#xA9;) work for any Unicode character, even those without named equivalents. Either form is valid in HTML5. For programmatic encoding, numeric entities are often preferred as they don't require a lookup table.
Copied!

What is HTML Encoder / Decoder?

HTML Encoder / Decoder is a free online utility designed to help developers, designers, and technical professionals work more efficiently. This tool runs entirely in your browser — no installation required, no data sent to any server.

How to Use HTML Encoder / Decoder

  1. Paste or type your input in the editor area above.
  2. Click the action button to process your content.
  3. Copy the output or download the result.

Key Features

  • 100% Free — No registration or payment required.
  • Client-side Processing — Your data never leaves your browser.
  • Instant Results — Get output in milliseconds.
  • No Installation — Works directly in your web browser.
  • Mobile Friendly — Works on phones, tablets, and desktops.

Who Uses HTML Encoder / Decoder?

This tool is widely used by web developers, software engineers, data analysts, students, and IT professionals who need a quick and reliable way to process data without setting up complex software environments.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is HTML Encoder / Decoder free to use?
Yes, HTML Encoder / Decoder is completely free. There are no hidden charges, no subscription fees, and no account required.
Is my data safe when using HTML Encoder / Decoder?
Absolutely. All processing happens locally in your browser. No data is uploaded to any server, making it completely private and secure.
Can I use HTML Encoder / Decoder on mobile devices?
Yes, HTML Encoder / Decoder is fully responsive and works on all modern browsers and devices including smartphones and tablets.
Do I need to install anything to use HTML Encoder / Decoder?
No installation is required. Simply open the page in your browser and start using it immediately.
How accurate is HTML Encoder / Decoder?
HTML Encoder / Decoder uses industry-standard algorithms to ensure accurate and reliable results every time.
" : 'Paste HTML with entities…\ne.g. <h1>Hello & World</h1>'; process(); } function setEncMode(m) { encMode = m; document.querySelectorAll('.enc-opt-btn').forEach(b => b.classList.remove('active')); document.getElementById('opt-' + m).classList.add('active'); process(); } function onInput() { process(); } function encodeBasic(str) { return str.replace(/[&<>"']/g, c => ENTITIES[c]); } function encodeFull(str) { let out = ''; for (const ch of str) { const code = ch.codePointAt(0); if (ENTITIES[ch]) out += ENTITIES[ch]; else if (code > 127) out += '&#' + code + ';'; else out += ch; } return out; } function decodeEntities(str) { // named entities let out = str.replace(/&[a-zA-Z]+;/g, m => DECODE_MAP[m] || m); // decimal numeric out = out.replace(/&#(\d+);/g, (_, n) => String.fromCodePoint(parseInt(n))); // hex numeric out = out.replace(/&#x([0-9a-fA-F]+);/g, (_, h) => String.fromCodePoint(parseInt(h, 16))); return out; } function process() { const input = document.getElementById('inputText').value; const outEl = document.getElementById('outputText'); document.getElementById('inputCount').textContent = input.length + ' chars'; if (!input.trim()) { outEl.value = ''; outEl.className = 'enc-textarea output'; setStatus('idle', 'Enter text or HTML to begin.'); updateStats(0, 0, 0); return; } let result, entityCount = 0; if (mode === 'encode') { result = encMode === 'basic' ? encodeBasic(input) : encodeFull(input); entityCount = (result.match(/&[^;]+;/g) || []).length; setStatus('ok', '✓ Encoded — ' + entityCount + ' entities generated.'); } else { result = decodeEntities(input); entityCount = (input.match(/&[^;]+;/g) || []).length; setStatus('ok', '✓ Decoded — ' + entityCount + ' entities resolved.'); } outEl.value = result; outEl.className = 'enc-textarea output has-out'; document.getElementById('outputCount').textContent = result.length + ' chars'; updateStats(input.length, result.length, entityCount); } function setStatus(type, text) { const dot = document.getElementById('statusDot'); const msg = document.getElementById('statusMsg'); dot.className = 'enc-status-dot' + (type === 'idle' ? '' : ' ' + type); msg.className = 'enc-status-msg' + (type === 'idle' ? '' : ' ' + type); msg.textContent = text; } function updateStats(inp, out, entities) { document.getElementById('stat-in').textContent = inp; document.getElementById('stat-out').textContent = out || 0; document.getElementById('stat-entities').textContent = entities || 0; document.getElementById('stat-ratio').textContent = inp ? Math.round((out||0)/inp*100)+'%' : '—'; } function copyOutput() { const val = document.getElementById('outputText').value; if (!val) return; navigator.clipboard.writeText(val).then(() => showToast('Copied to clipboard!')); } function swapPanels() { const out = document.getElementById('outputText').value; document.getElementById('inputText').value = out; switchMode(mode === 'encode' ? 'decode' : 'encode'); } function clearAll() { document.getElementById('inputText').value = ''; document.getElementById('outputText').value = ''; document.getElementById('outputText').className = 'enc-textarea output'; setStatus('idle', 'Enter text or HTML to begin.'); updateStats(0, 0, 0); document.getElementById('inputCount').textContent = '0 chars'; document.getElementById('outputCount').textContent = '0 chars'; } function loadExample() { if (mode === 'encode') { document.getElementById('inputText').value = '

Hello "World" & everyone!

\n