HTML Entities Converter
Encode and decode HTML entities (special characters). Free, fast, and secure - convert <, >, & and other entities instantly.
Conversion examples
<div>Hello</div> <div>Hello</div> < > & " ' © ® < > & " ' © ® HTML Entities Converter: Encode and Decode HTML Special Characters
The HTML Entities Converter is a free tool for web developers to encode and decode HTML special characters. Convert characters like <, >, &, and " to their HTML entity equivalents and vice versa. Essential for preventing XSS vulnerabilities and displaying code correctly in HTML.
HTML entities are special codes that represent characters that have meaning in HTML syntax. Without proper encoding, characters like < and > could be interpreted as HTML tags, causing display issues or security vulnerabilities.
How to Use
- Select the mode: "Encode" (text → entities) or "Decode" (entities → text)
- Paste or type your text in the input area
- The conversion happens automatically in real-time
- Special characters (<, >, &, ", ') are converted to HTML entities
- Copy the result with the copy button to use in your code
💡 Why Encode HTML Entities?
Proper HTML encoding is crucial for security and correct rendering. User-submitted content containing <script> tags could execute malicious code if not encoded. Code examples need encoding to display correctly instead of being parsed as HTML.
This tool handles encoding and decoding bidirectionally and instantly, supporting all standard HTML entities including named entities ( ) and numeric entities (<).
🎯 Typical Use Case:
You're writing a blog post about HTML and need to show <div> tags in your content. You encode the text to <div> so browsers display the tags as text instead of rendering them.
🔧 Practical Use Cases
🛡️ XSS Prevention
Encode user input before displaying it in HTML to prevent cross-site scripting attacks.
<script> → <script>
📝 Code Documentation
Display code snippets in HTML documentation without browser interpretation.
<p>Hello</p> → <p>Hello</p>
📧 Email Templates
Ensure special characters display correctly across email clients.
© 2024 → © 2024
🔍 SEO & Meta Tags
Properly encode special characters in meta descriptions and titles.
"Best tools" → "Best tools"
✨ Common HTML Entities
Essential Characters
- < →
<or< - > →
>or> - & →
&or& - " →
"or" - ' →
'or'
Common Symbols
- Non-breaking space →
- © →
© - ® →
® - ™ →
™ - € →
€
❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
When should I encode HTML entities?
Always encode user-generated content before displaying in HTML. Also encode when displaying code examples, special characters, or when the content might be misinterpreted as HTML markup.
What's the difference between named and numeric entities?
Named entities use readable names (<), while numeric entities use Unicode code points (<). Both produce the same result. Named entities are more readable; numeric entities work for any Unicode character.
Do I need to encode UTF-8 characters?
With proper UTF-8 encoding declared in your HTML (<meta charset="UTF-8">), you don't need to encode most Unicode characters. However, the five essential characters (< > & " ') should always be encoded in HTML content.