ENCODING TOOL · CLIENT-SIDE
HTML Entity Encoder & Decoder
Convert special characters to HTML entities or decode them back. Essential for secure web development and proper character rendering.
Input
Output
About HTML Encoding
Security
Prevents XSS attacks by ensuring user input is rendered as text, not executed as HTML code.
Correct rendering
Ensures <, >, and & display as literal characters instead of being parsed as HTML tags.
Auto-detection
This tool auto-detects whether your input is encoded or decoded and processes it accordingly.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are HTML entities?
HTML entities are special character codes that represent reserved or difficult-to-type characters in HTML. They start with & and end with ; (e.g., & for &, < for <, > for >). They ensure content displays correctly in web browsers without being interpreted as code.
Why should I encode HTML?
HTML encoding is critical for two reasons: security (preventing cross-site scripting / XSS attacks by ensuring user input is displayed as text, not executed) and correctness (ensuring characters like <, >, and & render properly instead of being parsed as HTML tags or entities).
What characters need HTML encoding?
The five essential characters: < becomes < (less-than), > becomes > (greater-than), & becomes & (ampersand), " becomes " (double quote), and ' becomes ' (single quote). These are all reserved or special characters in HTML.