HTML Entity Encoder Decoder

Quick answer: HTML Entity Encoder Decoder is a free online tool: escape HTML special characters into entities — or decode entities back to plain text — so code samples display correctly and markup never breaks. No account or install needed — it runs entirely in your browser, free.

Escape HTML special characters into entities — or decode entities back to plain text — so code samples display correctly and markup never breaks. Free, no signup, fully local.

What is the HTML Entity Encoder Decoder?

An HTML entity is a text replacement for a character that has special meaning in HTML, written as an ampersand, a name or number, and a semicolon — for example &amp; for &, &lt; for <, and &gt; for >. This HTML entity encoder converts raw characters into their entity equivalents so they display literally instead of being parsed as markup, and decodes entities back into plain characters when you need the original text.

Encoding matters whenever you show code on a web page: an unescaped <div> inside a tutorial disappears into the DOM instead of displaying as text. It is also a first line of defense when rendering user input — escaping <, >, &, and quotes neutralizes the most basic script-injection attempts in reflected content.

The encoder handles the five critical XML/HTML characters plus common named entities (copyright, trademark, non-breaking space, curly quotes, em dash), and the decoder reverses them along with numeric forms like &#169; and &#xA9;. Everything runs in your browser; paste snippets freely with no signup and no upload.

There is one more place entities shine: documentation and chat. When you paste a div tag into Slack, a ticket, or a Markdown file, renderers may swallow it as markup. Encoding the snippet first guarantees colleagues see exactly the code you meant, angle brackets and all — no screenshots required.

How to use the HTML Entity Encoder Decoder

  1. Choose Encode to turn characters into entities, or Decode to turn entities back into characters.
  2. Paste your HTML snippet, code sample, or entity-filled text into the box.
  3. Run the conversion — < > & ” ‘ become &lt; &gt; &amp; &quot; &#39; and named entities are handled both ways.
  4. Copy the result straight into your page, CMS, or documentation.
  5. Decoding also resolves numeric entities (&#169; and &#xA9; styles) automatically.

HTML Entity Encoder Decoder use cases

Displaying code in tutorials

Blog posts and docs that show HTML or JavaScript must escape every < and &. Encode the snippet here, then paste it inside your <pre><code> block so readers see the code instead of the browser executing it.

Sanitizing reflected user input

When echoing a username or search term back into a page, encoding <, >, and & stops the simplest cross-site scripting payloads from executing. It is not a complete security strategy, but it is the essential first step.

Fixing double-escaped text

Text that shows &amp;amp; has been encoded twice. Run Decode to peel it back to a single encoding level, or twice to recover the original characters.

Preparing email templates

Some email clients mangle raw special characters. Encoding them as entities keeps templates rendering consistently across inboxes.

Tips

  • Always encode user-supplied text before injecting it into HTML — it is the cheapest XSS protection there is.
  • If you see &amp;amp; in output, the text was encoded twice; decode once to fix it.
  • Named entities like &copy; are friendlier than &#169;, but numeric forms work everywhere — the decoder handles both.
  • Encoding does not protect attribute contexts fully — always quote your attributes too.

Frequently asked questions

What is an HTML entity?
An HTML entity is a sequence like & or © that represents a character which would otherwise be interpreted as markup. It starts with &, ends with ;, and contains either a name (lt, gt, amp, quot, copy) or a numeric character reference in decimal or hexadecimal.
Why do I need to encode HTML characters?
Characters like , and & have structural meaning in HTML. If you want them to appear as visible text — in a code sample, a comment, or user-generated content — they must be encoded, or the browser will try to parse them as tags and your content will break or disappear.
Does encoding prevent XSS attacks?
Encoding , &, and quotes neutralizes the most basic reflected-XSS payloads and is a recommended baseline. It is not sufficient on its own for complex applications — use framework auto-escaping and Content Security Policy as well. For production applications, treat output encoding as one layer among several, not as the whole security strategy.
What is the difference between named and numeric entities?
Named entities use memorable names (©), while numeric entities use the character's code point in decimal (©) or hex (©). Both render identically; this tool's decoder understands all three forms. Stick with the five basic ones plus a few common named entities for readability; numeric forms are best reserved for unusual characters.
Why does my text show &amp; instead of &?
The text was encoded twice — the & of & got encoded again. Run it through Decode once to return to single encoding. This double-encoding often happens when a CMS escapes content that was already escaped — decode once at the source to fix it permanently.
Is my snippet uploaded to a server?
No. Encoding and decoding run entirely in your browser. Paste proprietary code samples without worry — nothing leaves your device and there is no signup. Everything happens in page JavaScript, so even proprietary template code can be pasted without review-board anxiety.
Should I encode the whole page or just dynamic parts?
Encode only the dynamic or untrusted parts — user input, code samples, data from APIs. Your page's own structural markup must stay as real tags, or the browser will display your layout as text instead of rendering it. A useful mental model: encode data, never code — anything your application generated as text gets encoded, anything you wrote as markup stays raw.