HTML Entity Encoder / Decoder
Encode text with special characters into safe HTML entities, or decode < > & and other entities back to plain text. Essential for XSS prevention and safe HTML embedding.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are HTML entities and when do I need them?▼
HTML entities are special character codes like &lt; for < and &amp; for &. You need them when embedding user-generated content in HTML (to prevent XSS), writing HTML inside attributes, or displaying characters that would otherwise be interpreted as markup.
What is the difference between encoding and escaping HTML?▼
HTML encoding and HTML escaping mean the same thing: replacing special characters with their entity equivalents so they render as text, not markup. The term 'escaping' comes from programming contexts; 'encoding' is the broader term. Both produce the same &lt; &gt; &amp; output.
Which characters must always be encoded in HTML?▼
The five critical characters are: < (&lt;), > (&gt;), & (&amp;), " (&quot;), and ' (&#39;). These have special meaning in HTML and will break your markup if left unencoded inside content or attributes.
Does encoding HTML prevent XSS attacks?▼
Yes — properly encoding user input before inserting it into HTML is the primary defense against reflected and stored XSS. Always encode on output, not input, and make sure to use context-appropriate encoding (HTML body vs. attribute vs. JavaScript context).
Is my data sent to any server?▼
No. All encoding and decoding runs entirely in your browser with JavaScript. Your text never leaves your machine — safe to use with sensitive content, internal code, and production HTML.
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