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HTML Entity Encoder / Decoder

Escape and unescape HTML special characters safely.

Encode & decode
Named & numeric
XSS-safe escaping
Input
Output

Encode and decode HTML entities the safe way

An HTML entity encoder converts characters that carry special meaning in HTML — such as less-than, greater-than, ampersand, and quotation marks — into safe entity codes like <, >, and &. Our free tool encodes and decodes these entities instantly in your browser, letting you display literal markup as text or turn escaped content back into readable characters without any guesswork.

Escaping HTML is essential for both correctness and security. If you want to show a code snippet or an angle bracket on a page, the browser would otherwise try to interpret it as a tag. More importantly, encoding user-supplied text is a primary defense against cross-site scripting (XSS): converting < and > into entities ensures injected markup renders as harmless text rather than executable script, protecting your visitors and your application.

The decoder handles both named entities like &copy; and numeric entities like &#169;, making it easy to clean up exported data, RSS feeds, and API responses that arrive double-escaped. Every operation runs locally with no network requests, so any code, template fragment, or personal text you paste stays entirely on your device. With real-time results and one-click copying, it fits neatly into everyday web development and content workflows.

Why use HTML Entity Encoder?

Two-way conversion

Encode raw characters into HTML entities or decode entities back into their original characters in a single tool.

Security focused

Escaping reserved characters helps prevent cross-site scripting by rendering injected markup as inert text.

Named and numeric

Decodes both named entities like &amp; and numeric entities like &#169; for reliable cleanup of messy data.

Local and private

All processing happens in your browser, so pasted code and content are never uploaded or stored.

How to use HTML Entity Encoder

  1. 1

    Select a mode

    Choose whether you want to encode plain text or decode existing HTML entities.

  2. 2

    Paste your content

    Enter the text, markup, or entity-laden string you want to convert into the input area.

  3. 3

    See the result

    The converted output appears instantly, correctly escaping or unescaping the special characters.

  4. 4

    Copy the output

    Click copy to place the encoded or decoded text on your clipboard for use in your project.

Common use cases

Display code snippets

Escape angle brackets and ampersands so HTML and XML examples show as literal text on a web page instead of being parsed.

Prevent XSS

Encode untrusted user input before inserting it into a page to neutralize injected scripts and markup.

Clean exported data

Decode double-escaped strings from CMS exports, feeds, or APIs to restore readable, usable content.

Prepare email and templates

Ensure special characters render consistently across email clients and templating engines by encoding them explicitly.

Features at a glance

Frequently asked questions

What are HTML entities and why do they matter?

HTML entities are text codes that represent characters which have special meaning in HTML or cannot be typed easily. For example &lt; represents a less-than sign and &amp; represents an ampersand. Using entities lets you display these characters as literal text instead of having the browser treat them as markup.

Which characters get encoded by this tool?

The encoder converts the core reserved characters — less-than, greater-than, ampersand, double quote, and single quote — into their named or numeric entities. This is exactly the set you must escape to prevent HTML injection and to render code snippets, angle brackets, and quotes safely inside a page.

How does encoding HTML entities help prevent XSS?

Cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks work by injecting active markup into a page. Encoding user-supplied text so that characters like < and > become entities means the browser renders them as harmless text rather than executable tags, which is a fundamental defense against injection vulnerabilities.

Can I decode entities back into normal characters?

Yes. Switch to decode mode and paste content containing named entities like &amp; or numeric entities like &#169;. The tool converts them back to their original characters instantly. This is useful when cleaning up exported data or reading escaped content from feeds and APIs.

Does this tool keep my text private?

Absolutely. Encoding and decoding are performed entirely in your browser with no network requests, so any code, markup, or personal text you paste is processed locally and never uploaded or stored on a server.

Your privacy matters

HTML Entity Encoder runs entirely in your web browser. Your files, text, and data are never uploaded to any server, never stored, and never seen by us or any third party. This client-side architecture means you can safely process confidential business documents, personal records, and proprietary data without privacy concerns.

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