HTML Entity Encoder/Decoder
Encode special characters to HTML entities or decode them back instantly.
Common HTML Entities
What is HTML Entity Encoder/Decoder?
HTML entity encoding converts special characters into their HTML entity equivalents. Characters like <, >, &, and quotes have special meaning in HTML, so they must be encoded to display correctly as text. This prevents XSS attacks and ensures proper rendering of content containing special characters.
How to Use This Tool
- Select 'Encode' or 'Decode' mode
- Enter your text containing special characters
- The conversion happens automatically as you type
- Copy the encoded/decoded result
Common Use Cases
- Safely displaying user-generated content in HTML
- Preventing XSS (Cross-Site Scripting) attacks
- Encoding code snippets for blog posts
- Fixing broken HTML caused by unencoded characters
Frequently Asked Questions
What are HTML entities?
HTML entities are special codes that represent characters in HTML. They start with & and end with ;. For example, < represents <, > represents >, and & represents &.
Why is HTML encoding important for security?
HTML encoding prevents XSS attacks by ensuring that user input is displayed as text, not executed as HTML or JavaScript. Without encoding, attackers could inject malicious scripts.
Which characters must be HTML encoded?
The essential characters to encode are: < (<), > (>), & (&), " ("), and ' ('). These have special meaning in HTML and can break your markup if not encoded.