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HTML Entity Encoder / Decoder: Encode & Decode HTML Entities Instantly

By Tooladex Team •
HTML EntitiesEncoderDecoderDeveloper Tools
HTML Entity Encoder / Decoder: Encode & Decode HTML Entities Instantly

Need to safely put text in HTML or turn entity-encoded content back into plain text? The HTML Entity Encoder / Decoder encodes characters like < > & " so they display correctly in HTML, or decodes named and numeric entities (  © é) back to characters. All processing runs in your browser; no data is sent to any server.

Example: Paste a snippet like <div>hello</div> and decode it to see the raw text. Or type <script> and encode to get safe output for embedding in a page. Use “Encode non-ASCII” to convert Unicode characters to numeric entities. Copy the result with one click.

What are HTML Entities?

HTML entities are escape sequences that represent characters with special meaning in HTML (or that are hard to type). For example, < is the less-than character, & is the ampersand, and   is a non-breaking space. Numeric entities use &#decimal; or &#xhex; (e.g. © for ©, é for é).

Encoding text with entities makes it safe to embed in HTML without being interpreted as tags or breaking attributes. Decoding converts entity references back to the actual characters. The Tooladex HTML Entity Encoder / Decoder does both entirely in your browser.

Why Use an HTML Entity Encoder / Decoder?

Safe HTML output — Encode user input or dynamic text before inserting into HTML to prevent XSS and broken markup.

Display code or samples — Encode < and > so angle brackets show as text instead of tags in docs or tutorials.

Attributes and quotes — Encode quotes and ampersands in attribute values so they don’t break the markup.

Decode scraped or stored HTML — Convert entity-encoded content back to plain text for display or processing.

Non-ASCII in legacy systems — Use “Encode non-ASCII” to represent Unicode as numeric entities for older systems or strict ASCII contexts.

How the HTML Entity Encoder / Decoder Works

  1. Choose Encode or Decode — Encode turns special characters into entities; Decode turns entities back into characters.
  2. Paste or type your text in the input field (plain text to encode, or entity-encoded text to decode).
  3. Optional (Encode): Turn on “Encode non-ASCII” to convert characters above U+007F to &#decimal;.
  4. View the result in the output field and copy with one click.

Encode replaces & < > ” and apostrophe with & < > " '. Decode supports all standard named and numeric entities via the browser’s built-in decoder.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which characters are encoded?
By default: ampersand, less-than, greater-than, double quote, and apostrophe. With “Encode non-ASCII” enabled, any character with Unicode code above 127 is encoded as &#decimal;.

What entities can be decoded?
The tool uses the browser’s HTML entity decoder, so standard named entities (  © é etc.) and numeric entities (© é) are supported.

Is my text sent to a server?
No. All encoding and decoding happens in your browser. Your text never leaves your device.

Privacy

All processing runs in your browser. We don’t send or store your text.

Try the HTML Entity Encoder / Decoder

HTML Entity Encoder / Decoder

Encode or decode HTML entities instantly. Convert < > & " ' to &lt; &gt; &amp; &quot; &#39; or decode named and numeric entities. Optional non-ASCII encoding. Free, privacy-focused, 100% client-side.

Try Tool Now

The HTML Entity Encoder / Decoder is free, works in your browser, and requires no sign-up. Switch between Encode and Decode, paste your text, and get safe HTML entities or plain text with one click — perfect for web development, content display, and data cleanup.

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