HTML Entity Encoder & Decoder
Safely convert special characters into HTML entities or decode entity strings back into plain text. Prevent Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities and ensure symbols display flawlessly in HTML documents.
Common HTML Entity Reference
How to Encode and Decode HTML Entities
- 1
Select mode
Choose "Encode" to escape reserved symbols or "Decode" to translate entity codes into readable text.
- 2
Enter your string
Paste your HTML code snippet, symbols, or entity strings into the input box.
- 3
Copy converted output
Click the Copy button to copy the escaped or unescaped result for your web project.
HTML Entity Tool Features
Bidirectional Encode & Decode
Instantly convert plain text into entity codes (<) or decode entity strings back into readable symbols.
Named & Numeric Entity Support
Decodes standard named entities (&, ©, ™) as well as decimal (<) and hexadecimal (<) formats.
Common Entity Quick Reference
Includes a quick lookup table of essential reserved characters, symbols, and currency marks.
Real-Time Dynamic Processing
Instant conversion updates as you type or paste content without page reloads or delays.
Client-Side Security
All string escaping is computed locally in your browser memory; your code snippets are never transmitted to external servers.
What are HTML Entities and Why Must They Be Escaped?
In HTML, certain characters are reserved as part of the markup language syntax. For instance, the less-than symbol (<) denotes the opening of an HTML tag, while the greater-than symbol (>) closes it. If you attempt to display these characters as literal text in a web page without escaping them, the browser parser may misinterpret them as tags.
An HTML entity is a standardized sequence of characters used to represent reserved characters and invisible symbols. Entities begin with an ampersand (&) and terminate with a semicolon (;). For example, < is represented as <, > as >, & as &, and double quotes as ".
Properly encoding user-supplied text before injecting it into HTML is also a fundamental security practice to prevent Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) attacks, where malicious actors inject executable scripts into web pages.
Frequently Asked Questions
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