URL Encoded Characters: %20, %22, %2B, %40
Updated 22 October 2026 · 2 min read
Seen %22 or %2B in a link and wondering what it means? Here is the full list of the codes people look up most, what each one stands for, and a few cases that surprise people, like the dot, the tilde and the newline.
Free toolURL Encoder & DecoderOpenThe codes people search for most
| Code | Character | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| %20 | space | Also written + in form data and query strings |
| %22 | double quote " | Seen in URL encoded JSON, as in %22name%22 |
| %25 | percent sign % | The % itself must be encoded; %2520 means the text was encoded twice |
| %2B | plus sign + | A bare + means a space in query strings, so a real plus must be %2B |
| %40 | at sign @ | Common in email addresses inside links, such as name%40example.com |
| %26 | ampersand & | Separates parameters, so a value that contains & must use %26 |
| %3D | equals sign = | Separates a name from its value |
| %3F | question mark ? | Starts the query string |
| %23 | hash # | Starts the fragment, everything after it is not sent to the server |
| %2F | slash / | Separates parts of a path |
| %3A | colon : | As in https%3A%2F%2F |
| %2C | comma , | |
| %3B | semicolon ; | |
| %3C and %3E | < and > | Angle brackets |
| %7B and %7D | { and } | Curly braces, used in JSON |
| %5B and %5D | [ and ] | Square brackets |
| %27 | single quote ' | Strict encoders write it; encodeURIComponent leaves it as it is |
| %0A | new line (LF) | The URL encoded newline. Windows text uses %0D%0A (CR then LF) |
| %09 | tab |
Is a dot encoded?
No. The dot (full stop) is one of the characters that is always safe, so it stays as . in the encoded text. You may still see %2E in a link; it simply decodes to a dot. Other characters that are never encoded: A to Z, a to z, 0 to 9, hyphen -, underscore _ and tilde ~.
How do I encode a double quote?
A double quote is %22. Paste text with quotes into the URL Encoder & Decoder and choose Component: the quotes come out as %22. To go back, choose Decode.
What is a URL encoded newline?
A line break is %0A on Linux, Mac and the web (LF). Text from Windows often has %0D%0A (CR then LF). Decode them and you get the line break back. In a text box, they appear as a new line.
Why do I see %25 or %2520?
%25 is the percent sign. If you see %2520 where you expected %20, the text was encoded twice: the first round turned a space into %20, and the second turned its % into %25. Decode once to get %20, then once more for the space. The Decode again button does the second round for you.
Letters outside English
Each character is converted to UTF-8 bytes and each byte is written as a code. é is %C3%A9 (two bytes). Hindi letters take three bytes each, so न is %E0%A4%A8, and emoji take four. This is why a short Hindi word turns into a very long encoded string. It decodes back exactly.
Paste any code from this page into the URL Encoder & Decoder to check it yourself, with Decode selected.
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Decode an encoded URL into readable text, or encode text so it is safe inside a link. Query parameters are listed for you.