What is HTML entity encoding?

HTML entity encoding converts special characters to HTML entities (named or numeric codes). For example, becomes >, & becomes &. This prevents special characters from being interpreted as HTML and ensures safe display in web pages.

When should I encode HTML entities?

Encode HTML entities when displaying user input or special characters in HTML to prevent XSS attacks and display issues. Special characters like , &, and quotes should be encoded. Most modern frameworks encode automatically, but manual encoding is needed for some cases.

What characters need to be encoded?

Characters that need HTML entity encoding include: (>), & (&), " ("), ' ('), and / (/). These characters have special meaning in HTML and should be encoded to display safely. Alphanumeric characters and most punctuation don't need encoding.

What's the difference between HTML entity encoding and URL encoding?

HTML entity encoding uses named entities (<) or numeric entities (<) for HTML content. URL encoding uses percent-encoding (%3C) for URLs and query parameters. Use HTML entity encoding for HTML content, URL encoding for URLs. They serve different purposes.

Can I decode all HTML entities?

The tool handles common HTML entities (named and numeric). Very rare or custom entities may not be fully supported. Standard HTML entities like <, >, &, ", ' are fully supported. For complete entity support, use specialized HTML parsing libraries.

HTML Entity Encoder/Decoder - Encode...

When to Use This Tool

Use this when:

You need to encode special characters in HTML to prevent XSS attacks or display issues
You want to safely display special characters (<, >, &, quotes) in HTML content
You're developing web applications and need to escape user input for security
You want to decode HTML entities to see the original characters
You're working with HTML content and need to encode/decode entities
You need to prepare text for safe HTML insertion or display
You're debugging HTML and need to see what HTML entities represent

Don't use this if:

You need to encode URLs or web addresses (use URL encoder)
You require Base64 encoding for data transmission (use Base64 encoder)
You want to encode binary data or files (use Base64 or file encoders)
You need to encode for specific protocols or formats not supported
You require encoding for cryptographic purposes (use specialized encryption tools)

What is an HTML Entity Encoder/Decoder?

An HTML entity encoder/decoder converts special characters to their HTML entity equivalents (and back) — for example, < becomes <, & becomes &, and © becomes ©. Our tool processes everything in your browser.

HTML entity encoding is essential for web security and correct HTML rendering: preventing XSS (Cross-Site Scripting) attacks by encoding user input, displaying HTML code as text on web pages, preserving special characters in HTML documents, encoding characters that are outside the ASCII range, and ensuring correct rendering across different browsers and character sets.

This tool is essential for web developers sanitizing user input for display, content creators embedding code snippets in HTML pages, email developers ensuring special characters render correctly in email clients, security engineers testing for XSS vulnerabilities, and technical writers including HTML examples in documentation.

Compared to using programming language functions (htmlspecialchars in PHP, he.encode in JavaScript), browser developer console tricks, or online encoders that may track usage, PureXio provides instant bidirectional encoding/decoding with comprehensive character support.

The tool supports all standard HTML entities (named entities like & and numeric entities like &), handles Unicode characters, provides both encoding (text to entities) and decoding (entities to text), shows a reference table of common HTML entities, and handles edge cases like nested encoding and mixed content correctly.

Best for: encoding/decoding HTML entities for web security and display. Supports named and numeric entities, Unicode. Prevents XSS. Fully private.

How to Encode/Decode HTML Entities

Select mode: 'Encode' to convert special characters to HTML entities, or 'Decode' to convert HTML entities back to characters. Paste or enter your text in the input field

Text is converted automatically as you type. Encoding converts special characters (e.g., < becomes <, & becomes &). Decoding converts entities (e.g., < becomes <, & becomes &)

Review the encoded or decoded result. Copy the result to clipboard. Use encoded text in HTML for safe display. Use decoded text to see original characters

Common Use Cases

XSS prevention: Encode user input to prevent cross-site scripting attacks in web applications

Safe HTML display: Encode special characters to display them safely in HTML content

Web development: Encode text for safe insertion into HTML documents or templates

Content security: Encode user-generated content before displaying in web pages

HTML debugging: Decode HTML entities to see what characters they represent

Text preparation: Encode text containing <, >, &, or quotes for HTML use

Entity conversion: Convert between HTML entities and regular characters for various purposes

Features

Encode special characters to HTML entities (<, >, &, ", etc.)

Decode HTML entities back to original characters

Real-time conversion—results update as you type

Handle common HTML entities: <, >, &, ", ', etc.

Bidirectional conversion—encode and decode in either direction

Swap input/output for easy mode switching

100% private—all processing happens in your browser

Limitations & Constraints

Handles common HTML entities—very rare or custom entities may not be fully supported

Encoding is for HTML content—doesn't handle URL encoding or other encoding schemes

Very long texts may process slowly—consider processing in smaller chunks

Some edge cases with nested entities or malformed entities may not decode correctly

Doesn't validate HTML structure—only encodes/decodes entities, not HTML validation

Troubleshooting

HTML entity encoding fails or shows error

Solution: Check that input text is valid. HTML entity encoding should work with any text. If encoding fails, try copying text again or check for invalid characters. Ensure you selected correct mode (encode vs decode). Some very long texts may cause issues—try shorter text. Prevention: Use valid text input and correct mode selection.

HTML entity decoding fails or shows error

Solution: HTML entity decoding requires valid HTML entity format. If decoding fails, check that entities are properly formatted (e.g., < not <lt;). Ensure entities use correct syntax (&entityname; or &#number;). Invalid entity syntax causes decoding errors. Prevention: Ensure HTML entities are valid before decoding.

Decoded text looks wrong or corrupted

Solution: HTML entity decoding converts entities to characters. If text looks wrong, entities may be invalid or corrupted. Check that entities are complete and valid. Ensure entities use standard HTML entity names or numeric codes. Invalid entities produce incorrect characters. Prevention: Verify HTML entities are valid and complete before decoding.

Special characters not encoded correctly

Solution: HTML entity encoding converts special characters to entities. Common encodings: < = <, > = >, & = &, " = ", ' = '. If characters aren't encoded, they may already be safe for HTML (alphanumeric and some punctuation). Verify encoding matches your needs. Prevention: Understand which characters need HTML entity encoding.

Need to encode only part of text

Solution: This tool encodes the entire input. For partial encoding (e.g., only specific characters), encode the specific parts separately, then combine. Or use programming tools for selective encoding. The tool is designed for full text encoding/decoding. Prevention: Encode specific parts separately if needed.