HTML Encoder/Decoder - Encode & Decode HTML Entities
Encode and decode HTML entities for safe display. Free online HTML encoder and decoder tool.
How This Tool Works
This tool converts special HTML characters into their entity equivalents and vice versa. HTML encoding prevents browsers from interpreting characters as HTML code, which is essential for displaying user input safely and preventing XSS attacks. Common conversions include < to <, > to >, and & to &.
Why Use This Tool
- ✓Encode HTML for safe display
- ✓Decode HTML entities to readable text
- ✓Prevent XSS vulnerabilities
- ✓Display code snippets safely
- ✓Handle special characters in HTML
- ✓Essential for web development
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 <, and > represents >.
Why encode HTML?
Encoding HTML prevents browsers from interpreting special characters as HTML code. This is crucial for displaying user input safely and preventing XSS (Cross-Site Scripting) attacks.
Which characters need to be encoded?
The most important characters to encode are: < (less than), > (greater than), & (ampersand), " (double quote), and ' (single quote). These have special meaning in HTML.
What is XSS?
XSS (Cross-Site Scripting) is a security vulnerability where attackers inject malicious scripts into web pages. HTML encoding helps prevent XSS by ensuring user input is displayed as text, not executed as code.
Can I encode entire HTML documents?
Yes, but this tool is designed for encoding text content that will be displayed within HTML. If you want to display HTML code as text on a webpage, this tool will encode it properly.