- Paste or type the text containing special characters into the 'Input' field.
- To encode, click the 'Encode' button. The tool will convert special characters into their HTML entity equivalents (e.g., '<' becomes '<').
- To decode, click the 'Decode' button. The tool will convert HTML entities back to their original characters.
- The result will instantly appear in the 'Output' field.
- Use the 'Copy' button to copy the result to your clipboard, or 'Load Demo' to see an example.
What is HTML entity encoding?
HTML entity encoding is the process of converting special characters into their HTML entity equivalents. For example, '<' becomes '<', '>' becomes '>', and '&' becomes '&'. This ensures that these characters are displayed as text rather than being interpreted as HTML markup by the browser.
When should I encode HTML entities?
You should encode HTML entities when displaying user-generated content, showing code snippets on web pages, preventing XSS (Cross-Site Scripting) attacks, or when you need to display characters that have special meaning in HTML. It's a crucial security practice for any web application.
What characters need to be encoded?
The most important characters to encode are: < (less than), > (greater than), & (ampersand), " (double quote), and ' (single quote/apostrophe). These characters have special meanings in HTML and can cause rendering issues or security vulnerabilities if not properly encoded.
Is this tool free?
Yes, our Online HTML Entity Encoder/Decoder is completely free. There are no usage limits. Encode and decode as much text as you need.
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HTML
HTML (HyperText Markup Language) is the standard markup language for creating web pages and web applications. It defines the structure and content of web documents using a system of tags and attributes.
HTML Entity
HTML Entity (HTML Character Entity) is a string that begins with an ampersand (&) and ends with a semicolon (;), used to represent special characters in HTML that would otherwise be interpreted as HTML code or are not easily typed on a keyboard.