HTML Encoder/Decoder — Free Online Tool
Encode and decode HTML entities instantly
All processing happens locally. No data is sent to any server.
HTML entities let you represent special characters in HTML without the browser interpreting them as markup. Our HTML Encoder/Decoder converts between raw characters and their entity equivalents: & becomes &, < becomes <, > becomes >, " becomes ", and ' becomes '. Use the Encode mode to escape characters when inserting user-generated content into HTML — this prevents XSS attacks by ensuring angle brackets and ampersands are displayed as text, not parsed as tags. Use Decode mode to reverse the process, converting entities back to their original characters for display or processing. This is essential for developers working with HTML templates, email systems, or any context where raw text needs to be safely embedded in HTML markup. Content management systems, form processors, and API responses frequently need entity encoding to prevent injection attacks and rendering errors. All processing happens in your browser. Your data never leaves your device. For related encoding tasks, check out our [Base64 Encoder/Decoder](/tools/base64) for binary encoding, or [URL Encoder/Decoder](/tools/url-encoder) for URL-safe encoding.
FAQ
Why encode HTML entities?
Encoding special characters as HTML entities prevents them from being interpreted as HTML markup. This is critical for preventing XSS attacks when displaying user-generated content.
Which characters are encoded?
We encode the five XML/HTML special characters: & (ampersand), < (less than), > (greater than), " (double quote), and ' (apostrophe).
Is this safe for user input?
Yes. Encoding user input before inserting it into HTML is a fundamental security practice. Always encode untrusted content to prevent injection attacks.