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HTML Entity Encoder/Decoder

Encode text to HTML entities or decode HTML entities back to their original characters. Useful for displaying code or special characters safely in HTML.

About HTML Entity Encoder/Decoder

Some characters in HTML - like < or &—have special meanings. HTML entities let you show them on your webpage without confusing the browser. Our HTML Entity Encoder/Decoder tool helps you safely convert these characters for web display and back again.

What are HTML Entities?

HTML entities are character references that begin with an ampersand (&) and end with a semicolon (;). They're essential when you need to display special characters in HTML without the browser interpreting them as code. For example, the less-than symbol (<) represents <, and the ampersand entity (&) represents &.

Common HTML Entities

  • &lt; → < (less-than sign)
  • &gt; → > (greater-than sign)
  • &amp; → & (ampersand)
  • &quot; → " (quotation mark)
  • &apos; → ' (apostrophe)
  • &copy; → © (copyright symbol)
  • &nbsp; → (non-breaking space)

Why Use HTML Entity Encoding?

Security Benefits

Prevent XSS attacks by encoding user input that contains special characters. This ensures malicious scripts can't be executed in your web pages.

Display Accuracy

Ensure special characters display correctly across different browsers and platforms without being misinterpreted as HTML code.

When to Use This Tool

  • • Code Documentation: When showing HTML code examples in tutorials or documentation
  • • Data Processing: When handling user-generated content that needs to be safely displayed
  • • Email Templates: Ensuring special characters render properly in HTML emails
  • • Form Validation: Processing form inputs that contain quotes or other special characters
  • • Content Management: Storing and displaying content with special symbols or international characters

How to Use Our Tool

Encoding Process

  1. 1. Paste your text with special characters.
  2. 2. Click "Encode Entities".
  3. 3. Get HTML-safe encoded output.
  4. 4. Just copy the result and drop it into your project. Simple as that.

Decoding Process

  1. 1. Paste HTML entities you want to decode.
  2. 2. Click "Decode Entities".
  3. 3. View the original characters.
  4. 4. Copy the readable text output.

Best Practices

  • • Always encode user input: Never trust user-provided content without proper encoding.
  • • Use appropriate context: HTML entity encoding is for HTML content; use URL encoding for URLs.
  • • Double-check output: Always verify that encoded content displays correctly in your target environment.
  • • Consider accessibility: Some entities may affect screen readers, so test with accessibility tools.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this tool safe for sensitive data?

Absolutely. Everything runs right in your browser—nothing gets uploaded or shared. Your text stays private and secure, just the way it should be.

Can I encode special characters from other languages?

Absolutely! Our tool handles Unicode characters, so you can encode and decode special characters from any language or symbol set.

What's the difference between encoding and escaping?

HTML entity encoding converts characters to their entity representations, while escaping adds backslashes. For HTML display, entity encoding is the correct approach.

Pro Tip: This tool is perfect for developers working with dynamic content, technical writers creating documentation, and anyone who needs to safely display special characters in web content. Bookmark this page so you can quickly come back whenever you need to encode or decode HTML entities—fast, easy, and reliable.