Developer utility
Standalone tool pageHTML Entity Encoder / Decoder
Convert special characters into HTML entities or decode them back to raw text instantly.
Output
Output
Characters
Entity count
Preview
How It Works
The encoder scans text for special characters and replaces them with corresponding entity strings (e.g., & into &). The decoder finds entity patterns (e.g., <) and converts them back to the original character (e.g., <). All operations run locally.
Example
Enter <b>Tom & Jerry</b>. The tool encodes it to <b>Tom & Jerry</b>.
When to use this tool
- When writing code that outputs dynamic user data into HTML templates.
- When fixing broken layouts caused by un-encoded special characters.
- When verifying which entity code corresponds to a specific character.
Why encode HTML entities
- Security: Prevents XSS by making the browser treat characters as text rather than code.
- Formatting: Displays characters like "<" and ">" literally instead of breaking your UI layout.
- Compatibility: Ensures special characters like quotes or non-standard symbols are parsed correctly in all browsers.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an HTML entity?
HTML entities are special codes used to represent characters that have special meaning in HTML, like `<` (as `<`) and `>` (as `>`).
Why should I encode text for HTML?
Encoding prevents the browser from interpreting user-provided text as HTML tags, which is essential to prevent Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) and formatting bugs.
Can I decode entities?
Yes. The tool parses entities like `&` back into their original characters like `&`.
Are there different entity formats?
Yes, you can use named entities (like `©`), decimal entities (like `©`), or hexadecimal entities (like `©`).