HTML Entity Encoder/Decoder Convert Special Characters Online

Encode and decode HTML entities with ease. Convert special characters to HTML entities and vice versa for proper web display.

Encode & Decode
Named Entities
Numeric Entities

Input Text

Enter text to encode or decode HTML entities

Result

Processed text will appear here

Enter text and click "Process Text" to see the result

HTML Encoding

Convert special characters to safe HTML entities

HTML Decoding

Convert HTML entities back to readable characters

Multiple Formats

Support for named entities, decimal, and hexadecimal

Understanding HTML Entities & Character Encoding

What are HTML Entities?

HTML entities are special codes used to display characters that have special meaning in HTML or that cannot be entered directly from the keyboard. They ensure that browsers display characters correctly and prevent code injection.

Common HTML Entities:

& & (ampersand)
< < (less than)
> > (greater than)
" " (quotation mark)

Types of HTML Entities

HTML entities come in different formats depending on your needs. Named entities are human-readable, while numeric entities use Unicode code points for precise character representation.

Entity Types:

&copy; Named entity
&#169; Decimal numeric
&#xA9; Hexadecimal numeric

When to Use HTML Entities

Security

Prevent XSS attacks by encoding user input

Internationalization

Display special characters and symbols correctly

HTML Structure

Use reserved characters within HTML content

Best Practices for HTML Entities

Do's:

  • • Always encode user-generated content
  • • Use named entities for readability
  • • Encode ampersands in URLs
  • • Test encoding/decoding thoroughly
  • • Consider character encoding (UTF-8)

Don'ts:

  • • Don't double-encode entities
  • • Avoid encoding when not necessary
  • • Don't rely on browser auto-correction
  • • Don't forget to decode when displaying
  • • Don't mix encoding standards