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HTML Entity Tools

Encode text to HTML entities or decode entities back to text. Choose named entities for readability or numeric codes for maximum compatibility. All conversion happens instantly in your browser.

Input

Paste text or HTML with entities, then choose a conversion.

Output

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Named vs numeric entities

Named entities like & and © are easy to read, while numeric codes like © work everywhere including very old parsers. Encoding converts special characters so they display literally instead of being interpreted as HTML. Decoding reverses the process, turning entity codes back into readable characters.

When to encode

Encode user-generated content before inserting it into a page to prevent broken markup and cross-site scripting. Encode code samples for tutorials so angle brackets show as text. Decode when you inherit entity-filled text from a CMS export and want the original characters back.

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HTML Entity Tools FAQs

What is the difference between named and numeric encoding?
Named encoding uses readable names like © for common symbols, while numeric encoding uses code points like ©. Numeric output is more universally compatible; named output is easier for humans to read.
Do I need to encode every special character?
At minimum encode & < > and quotes in attributes. Other symbols only need encoding if your page charset cannot represent them, which is rare with UTF-8.
Will decoding handle double-encoded text?
One decode pass reverses one encoding pass. If text was encoded twice (for example &amp;amp;), run Decode again on the result.
Is encoding enough to stop XSS attacks?
It is a strong first step for text inserted into HTML body content, but proper output escaping depends on context. Attribute, URL and JavaScript contexts each need their own escaping rules.
Does this tool send my text anywhere?
No. Encoding and decoding run entirely in your browser, so your content stays private.
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