Are you looking for a way to convert ASCII special characters into HTML entities? Here are the best HTML entity encoder & Decoder Online Tools

This article will give you a detailed review of The 5 Best Free HTML Entity encoder & Decoder Online Tools

HTML encoding is useful for transforming client request data and form data before using it on a web application. This way, you can reduce the chances of cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks. 

You achieve this using an HTML entity encoder, which converts any character to its corresponding HTML entity. 

Encoding converts potentially dangerous, hard-to-comprehend characters to their HTML-encoded equivalent. The decoding process reverses what you initially encoded to its original format. 

But before we do that, it is critical to understand key terminologies and the difference between the HTML encoder and HTML decoder tools.   

What Is An HTML Encoder?

HTML encoding involves converting text with special characters outside the range of normal ASCII into a conventional format. 

The form of encoding applied will transmit to the server as header information. This way, the data can be accurately parsed by the browser. 

So, an HTML entity encoder is a powerful tool that you can use to translate special ASCII characters into HTML entities you can properly display in a browser.

 In other words, the tool enables you to encode the meanings of characters in a text. It displays these characters more understandably. 

So, when a user tries to access HTML text that contains special characters, the type of encoding used will be reflected in the server as header information, making it simpler for software to process characters more accurately. 

Some of the special characters that are part of HTML entities but could be wrongly displayed in a browser if you don’t encode them include €, ©, &, ¶, §, —, and ∅.

 For example, the character & usually shows the beginning of an HTML entity. So, if you want to display it in your HTML document, you need to encode it as ‘&’. 

If you decide to decode it later, the decoder will take this string and return the unencoded version &.

What Is an HTML Decoder

HTML decoding, on the other hand, is the reverse of HTML encoding. So, an HTML decoder transforms special characters that were initially encoded into their earlier version.

 It takes an HTML-encoded string as input and works on it before it returns the encoded version of the HTML entity. 

These characters possess special representations that were used in the encoding process. So the decoding process reverts the representation so that the characters display their meaning on a real HTML page. 

What Is ASCII?

ASCII is the most widely used character encoding standard on computers. Its earlier version had 128 defined characters, which included numbers, letters, and popular special characters. 

The standard supports numbers from 0 to 9 and the lowercase and uppercase Latin alphabet. The extended version of ASCII can house the initial characters in the 128-character version plus all numbers, English alphabets, and several special characters up to 256 characters.  

Now that we know the meaning and difference of these critical tools and terminologies, you should be ready to find out which HTML encoder and decoder tools best fit your needs. 

Here Are the Top 5 HTML Encoder and Decoder Online Tools:  

1. Code Beautify HTML Encoder and Decoder Tools

This online utility offers an HTML entity encoder and HTML decoder on separate pages, but they all have similar and easy-to-use interfaces. 

You will particularly love it because it takes you through the process and has many options. You can copy and paste plain HTML into the tool to encode or upload a URL.

The Code Beautify HTML entity encoder allows you to load plain HTML data URL and convert it to a readable version. It helps to display HTML text in <pre> tag. 

Likewise, the HTML decoder saves you time by converting the HTML-encoded text to its original format. Both utilities work well on Mac, Windows, Firefox, Chrome, Safari, and Edge. 

To illustrate how they work, open the Code Beautify Encoder or decoder on your browser and follow these steps:

1. Copy and paste the HTML text into the input field and click the HTML Encode or HTML Decode buttons to start the process. Another option is to upload an HTML file into the system for it to encode or decode it. For advanced programmers and developers, you should load an external URL into the system to perform the same action.
2. After that, the system will automatically encode or decode your HTML file. 
3. The encoded or decoded HTML text will appear in the output text box. So you can copy it by tapping Copy To Clipboard. But if you prefer to download it to your computer, click the Download button and choose where to save the file on your device. 

2. FreeWebTools HTML Entity Encode

This is another robust HTML entity encoder useful in generating HTML entities safe to transmit over the internet. 

The FreeWebTools HTML Entity Encode tool offers unlimited chances to encode your plain HTML text to its corresponding HTML entities. Above all, the tool is easy to use and available online. 

The process of converting your HTML text to HTML entities goes like this:

1. First, copy and paste your plain HTML text into the provided box.
2. After that, click the Encode into HTML Entities button and wait a few seconds for the tool to complete the conversion.
3. Once done, it will display the results in a new text box that will appear beneath the input text field. So, you can copy the encoded HTML text from there and transfer it to your computer.   

3. SEOTools Center HTML Decoder

This HTML decoder is a free online utility that simplifies how you decode your HTML entities. The good thing is that it is straightforward to use.

 Besides this, here are a few other notable features that differentiate this tool from the rest:

• No software required: You won’t have to worry about downloading and installing software that may have harmful files. This HTML decoder works inside your browser. Moreover, you can use the tool without any limitations. 
• Efficient performance: The tool guarantees peak performance irrespective of the type of HTML file you feed into it. The tool uses an efficient decoding algorithm that reverses the codes that an HTML entity encoder initially encoded. 
• Offers cross-platform support: One of the reasons we recommend this online HTML decoder is the epic cross-platform support. You can use it on Android, iOS, macOS, and Windows computers or smartphones. 

So if you have an already encoded HTML file, open the tool and follow these steps:

1. First, copy and paste your encoded HTML file into the provided placeholder in the tool. Alternatively, you can upload the file by clicking the Browse file to decode button.
2. After your HTML file is ready, click the Decode button beneath the encoded HTML text box.
3. The process will commence automatically and will take a few seconds to hand you back a decoded text. Once finished, you can copy and paste the decoded text where you want to use it or download it by clicking the Click here to download the decoded file as option. 

4. Twaino HTML Encoder Decoder

Twaino HTML Encoder Decoder is another versatile tool available online for free. With this tool, you can encode or decode HTML text from the same interface. 

It eliminates the hassle of switching between pages or tools to do your conversion. Moreover, you don’t have to register to use the tool; you can use it unlimitedly without restriction. 

The tool makes it possible to display special characters in a way that users understand them. Just like every other tech tool, the Twaino HTML Encoding and Decoding tool might not be easily understood by everyone. 

It is suitable for web designers and animators who wish to display all HTML characters in the browser for easier understanding by their users. 

To perform encoding of your plain text in HTML entities, you follow this process:

1. Please copy the text in question and paste it into the provided text box.
2. Next, check the text to ensure you have transferred everything into the system. If it is okay, click the Process HTML button. The process is the same for both encoding and decoding. So, if you are decoding previously encoded text, then you copy and paste the same into the text box and click the Decode button. 
3. Finally, copy the encoded or decoded text that the system returns. The tool allows you to simplify the copy of your results. 

5. W3Docs HTML Encoder/Decoder

This HTML entity encoder allows you to translate all applicable special characters to their respective HTML entities for easier digestion. 

One of the reasons you might like it is that you can use it to output characters that are not readily available on your keyboard. Besides this, the tool lets you decode previously encoded characters to plain HTML. 

The tool has a simplistic interface with two text boxes. The first is the input placeholder, while the other is the output text box. At the top of the input text box are the Encode, Decode, and Reset buttons. 

To convert your HTML text to your preferred format, you usually follow this process:

1. Copy and paste the HTML text in the input field.
2. Click the Encode or Decode button, depending on what you want to amend.
3. The results will appear in the output text box. So you can copy it here by pressing the Copy button. 

Final Thoughts

You should never send plain HTML text online unless you trust the site. The safest way to send your HTML text over the internet is to first encode them to HTML entities using a trustworthy HTML entity encoder. 

Such a tool will be useful when inserting special characters into your HTML document. Moreover, users will find it easier to understand encoded characters than just plain HTML text.

 And if you already have encoded HTML entities, you can always reverse them to their previous version using an HTML decoder.