HTML Encoder Decoder
Convert text to HTML entities and decode HTML entities back to text. Perfect for handling special characters in web content and ensuring proper display across different platforms.
Features
Encode & Decode
Convert text to HTML entities and back with support for all special characters and symbols.
Unicode Support
Handle international characters and symbols with full Unicode support.
Real-time Preview
See encoded/decoded results instantly as you type or paste content.
Interesting History
Early Web Era
HTML character entities were introduced in the early days of HTML (1991-1995) to solve the problem of displaying special characters across different character encodings and platforms. The ampersand-based syntax was chosen for its distinctiveness and low likelihood of conflict with regular text.
Unicode Integration
With the advent of Unicode in the late 1990s, HTML entities evolved to support a wider range of characters. The numeric entity references (like €) were introduced to represent any Unicode character, greatly expanding the possibilities for multilingual web content.
Modern Usage
Today, while UTF-8 encoding has reduced the need for HTML entities in many cases, they remain crucial for escaping special characters in HTML and preventing XSS attacks, making them an essential part of web security practices.
Key Features
Encoding Capabilities
- Complete HTML entity conversion
- Support for named and numeric entities
- Special character handling
- UTF-8 compatibility
Decoding Features
- Fast entity resolution
- Support for decimal and hexadecimal entities
- Bulk text processing
- Error handling and validation
Security Features
- XSS attack prevention
- Safe character escaping
- Input sanitization
- HTML injection protection
Developer Tools
- Real-time preview
- Copy to clipboard functionality
- Batch processing support
- API integration options
How to Use
Encoding Text
Simply paste your text in the input field and select encode to convert special characters to HTML entities.
Decoding HTML
Paste HTML encoded text and select decode to convert HTML entities back to readable text.
Frequently Asked Questions
Basics
Fundamental concepts of HTML encoding and decoding