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HTML entity encoder & decoder

Encode special characters like <, >, &, " to HTML entities, or decode entities back to readable text. Prevents XSS when embedding user input.

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What is HTML Entity Encoder & Decoder?

An HTML entity encoder converts special characters like angle brackets (<, >), ampersands (&), quotation marks, and backticks into their corresponding HTML entity representations. This is critical for web security because unencoded special characters in user-generated content can be interpreted as HTML or JavaScript by the browser, leading to Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) attacks. When you display user input on a web page, encoding these characters ensures they are rendered as visible text rather than executable code. The decoder does the reverse — converting HTML entities back to their original characters, which is useful when parsing HTML source code or extracting text from encoded content. This free tool handles both named entities and numeric entities, processing everything in your browser without sending data to any server.

How to Use HTML Entity Encoder & Decoder

  1. 1

    Choose encode or decode mode

    Select "Encode" to convert special characters into HTML entities, or "Decode" to convert HTML entities back into readable characters. Switch between modes using the toggle at the top.

  2. 2

    Enter your text or HTML entities

    Paste your raw HTML, user input, or entity-encoded string into the input field. The tool processes the input in real time and shows the converted output instantly below.

  3. 3

    Copy the safe output

    Click the Copy button to copy the encoded or decoded result. Use encoded output in your HTML templates to safely display user content without XSS risks.

Features

  • Encodes all dangerous HTML characters including angle brackets and ampersands
  • Decodes both named entities and numeric entities
  • Prevents Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) by escaping user-generated content
  • Real-time conversion with instant output as you type
  • Processes entirely in the browser — no data sent to any server
  • One-click copy to clipboard for quick use in your templates

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why do I need to encode HTML entities?+
When displaying user-generated content in HTML, special characters can be interpreted as HTML tags by the browser. This creates XSS vulnerabilities where attackers can inject malicious scripts. Encoding converts these characters to safe entity representations that display as text.
What characters does this encoder convert?+
This tool encodes the six most security-critical HTML characters: ampersand, less-than, greater-than, double quote, single quote, and backtick into their corresponding entity representations.
Is HTML entity encoding the same as URL encoding?+
No. HTML entity encoding is for safely displaying text in HTML documents. URL encoding (percent-encoding) is for safely including special characters in URLs. They serve different purposes and use different escape formats.
Should I encode all HTML content or just user input?+
You should encode any dynamic or user-supplied content that gets inserted into HTML. Static HTML that you write yourself does not need encoding because you control the content. The key rule is: never trust user input, always encode it before rendering.
Can this tool decode numeric HTML entities?+
Yes. The decoder handles both named entities and numeric entities (decimal and hexadecimal). It uses the browser's native HTML parsing engine to correctly resolve all standard HTML entity references.
Does encoding prevent all types of XSS attacks?+
HTML entity encoding prevents the most common form of XSS — injecting HTML tags and JavaScript through special characters. However, a complete XSS prevention strategy also requires Content Security Policy headers, proper output context handling, and input validation.