How to use this HTML Entities Encoder / Decoder
Paste your text, markup, or encoded entity string into the input box. Click
Encode HTML Entities to convert special characters into safe entity codes,
or click Decode HTML Entities to convert existing entity codes back into
readable text.
- Paste plain text, HTML, or entity-encoded text into the input field.
- Choose whether you want to encode or decode.
- Review the transformed result in the output area.
- Copy the output for your editor, template, CMS, or code sample.
This tool is ideal for quick browser-based transformations when you need to display markup
safely, prepare documentation, or inspect entity-encoded content.
Example encoded output
Example decoded output
What are HTML entities?
HTML entities are encoded representations of characters that either have special meaning in
HTML or may not display safely as raw markup. For example, the less-than character is often
encoded as <, the greater-than character as >, and
the ampersand as &. This prevents the browser from treating those
characters as actual HTML syntax.
Entity encoding is widely used in code examples, content editors, templating systems, CMS
interfaces, email templates, and places where user-visible text must be shown literally
instead of being parsed as markup.
Why encode HTML characters?
Encoding is useful when you want to display markup as text or prevent certain characters
from being interpreted in an HTML context. This is especially important when writing code
snippets, showing tutorial examples, storing formatted content, or outputting user-entered
values in a way that preserves the visible characters.
- Show code samples: display HTML tags as readable text.
- Prepare CMS content: avoid accidental markup interpretation.
- Build templates: keep reserved characters safe in output.
- Write documentation: present examples clearly.
- Inspect stored content: review encoded values from editors or databases.
When should you decode HTML entities?
Decoding is useful when you already have entity-encoded text and want to convert it back
into a more readable form. This can help when inspecting CMS output, reviewing copied HTML
fragments, debugging escaped content, or transforming stored strings into plain text before
further editing.
Common characters this tool encodes
This tool focuses on common HTML-sensitive characters that often need escaping in everyday
workflows.
& becomes &< becomes <> becomes >" becomes "' becomes '
These are the most common characters people need to escape when working with HTML examples
and text rendering.
Who should use this tool?
This tool is useful for frontend developers, technical writers, CMS users, students,
bloggers, content teams, template authors, and anyone who needs to encode or decode HTML
safely without installing additional software.
Frequently Asked Questions
What characters are encoded?
Common characters such as ampersands, angle brackets, double quotes, and apostrophes
are encoded into HTML entity form.
Can I decode existing HTML entities?
Yes. Paste encoded content into the input field and click
Decode HTML Entities.
Why would I encode HTML instead of leaving it as plain text?
Encoding helps prevent the browser from interpreting reserved characters as markup,
which is useful when displaying code samples, examples, or literal HTML text.
Is this tool free to use?
Yes. This HTML entities encoder / decoder is free to use online.
Does this tool upload my text?
No. This tool is designed to work in the browser, so your text can remain on your
device during processing.