Converters · Free online tool

HTML Entity Encoder / Decoder

Convert text to HTML entities and decode named or numeric entities back into readable characters.

Quick answer: Paste text, choose Encode or Decode, and convert special characters to safe HTML entities—or entities back to readable text—instantly.
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How this html entities helps

This HTML entity encoder and decoder helps you safely display code, markup, symbols, and special characters in web pages. Encoding converts characters such as &, <, >, quotes, and non-ASCII symbols into named or numeric entities. Decoding converts entities back to readable text when you are inspecting copied markup, feed content, templates, or legacy CMS output. You can encode only the essential characters or encode all non-ASCII characters as numeric references for strict transport contexts. The tool runs in the browser and displays unsafe input as text rather than executing it. Copy, download, examples, and local history make repeated conversions fast. It is especially useful for documentation authors, developers preparing code snippets, and anyone debugging why a page displays raw tags instead of rendered markup.

Last updated: . All processing happens locally; no tool input is sent to a server.

Real-world examples

Display code safely

Encode <div> as &lt;div&gt; before placing it in documentation.

Inspect feed content

Decode &amp;, &lt;, and numeric entities from copied markup.

Transport special symbols

Encode non-ASCII punctuation as numeric entities for a strict legacy system.

Frequently asked questions

Why must < and & be encoded?

They have special meaning in HTML. Encoding them displays the characters literally instead of treating them as markup.

What is a numeric HTML entity?

A numeric entity represents a Unicode code point, such as &#169; for ©. It can be decimal or hexadecimal.

Does encoding prevent XSS?

Correct contextual escaping is an important defense, but complete XSS prevention also requires sanitization, safe APIs, and a strong Content Security Policy.

Can it decode named entities?

Yes. Common named, decimal, and hexadecimal entities are decoded by the browser parser without rendering unsafe markup.