What is URL Tool?
URLs (Uniform Resource Locators) are the addresses that identify resources on the web. A URL consists of multiple components: protocol (https://), domain (example.com), port (:443), path (/page), query string (?key=value), and fragment (#section). URL encoding converts special characters into percent-encoded format (%20 for space) to ensure safe transmission. URL Tool is a comprehensive suite for encoding, decoding, parsing, and cleaning URLs - essential for web development, API work, and marketing analytics.
Why Use This Tool?
Working with URLs often involves handling special characters, tracking parameters, and query string manipulation. Common challenges include: encoding user input for safe URL inclusion, decoding URLs from logs or analytics, stripping UTM and tracking parameters for clean sharing, and parsing complex query strings. URL Tool handles all these scenarios while processing everything locally - important when working with URLs containing sensitive parameters, API keys, or authentication tokens.
How to Use URL Tool
- Paste any URL into the input field
- Choose your operation: encode, decode, parse, or clean
- For encoding, special characters are converted to percent-encoded format
- For parsing, view all components in a structured table
- For cleaning, remove tracking parameters (UTM, fbclid, gclid)
- Copy the result or rebuild the URL with modifications
Features
- URL encoding with full Unicode support
- URL decoding with automatic double-decode detection
- Query string parser with editable parameters
- UTM parameter stripper for clean URLs
- Tracking parameter removal (fbclid, gclid, mc_eid, etc.)
- URL component breakdown (protocol, host, path, query, fragment)
- Bulk URL processing for multiple URLs
- URL validation and format checking
Common Use Cases
- API Development: Encode parameters for safe URL transmission
- Marketing: Strip tracking parameters for clean sharing
- Analytics: Parse and analyze URL parameters from logs
- Security: Decode suspicious URLs to inspect actual destinations
- SEO: Clean URLs for canonical tags and link building
Tips & Best Practices
- ✓ Double-encoding is a common bug - decode twice if characters still look encoded
- ✓ Use encodeURIComponent() for values, encodeURI() for full URLs
- ✓ Some characters are reserved in URLs: ? & = # should always be encoded in values
- ✓ Check for mixed content when URLs contain both http:// and https:// resources
How It Compares to Alternatives
URL encoder websites typically upload your URLs to their servers. URL Tool processes everything locally, which is essential when working with URLs containing API keys, tokens, or sensitive parameters. Unlike browser DevTools, URL Tool provides a dedicated interface for URL manipulation with batch processing support.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I URL encode a string?
Paste your text and click "Encode". Special characters like spaces, ampersands, and non-ASCII characters are converted to percent-encoded format (e.g., space becomes %20).
How do I remove UTM parameters from a URL?
Paste your URL with tracking parameters and click "Clean URL". We remove utm_source, utm_medium, utm_campaign, fbclid, gclid, and other common tracking parameters while preserving essential query strings.
Can I parse query string parameters?
Yes! Paste any URL and we display all query parameters in a clean table format. You can edit, add, or remove parameters and rebuild the URL.
Ready to Get Started?
Use URL Tool for free - no registration required.
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