HTML Entity Encoder / Decoder
Convert special characters to HTML entities and back.
Common HTML Entities Reference
| Character | Named Entity | Numeric Entity | Description |
|---|
What Are HTML Entities?
HTML entities are special codes that represent characters which have special meaning in HTML or cannot be typed directly. For example, < represents the less-than sign (<), & represents an ampersand (&), and represents a non-breaking space. Entities prevent the browser from interpreting these characters as HTML markup.
How Do I Encode or Decode HTML Entities?
Paste your text into the input area and click Encode to convert special characters to their HTML entity equivalents. Click Decode to reverse the process. The tool handles all standard named entities as well as numeric character references. Copy the result with one click.
When Do I Need to Encode HTML Entities?
Entity encoding is essential when displaying user-generated content on web pages to prevent XSS (cross-site scripting) attacks. It is also needed when writing HTML source code that includes literal angle brackets, ampersands, or quotation marks, and when preparing text for XML documents that share similar escaping rules.
Does This Tool Handle All HTML5 Entities?
Yes. The tool handles the most commonly used entities including angle brackets, ampersands, quotes, copyright symbols, and mathematical operators. It also converts non-ASCII characters to their numeric references when needed. This covers all practical use cases for web development.
What Are the Most Common HTML Entities?
The five most essential HTML entities are < for the less-than sign, > for the greater-than sign, & for the ampersand, " for double quotes, and ' for single quotes. Beyond these, commonly used entities include for non-breaking spaces, © for the copyright symbol, — for em dashes, and € for the Euro sign. Learning these basic entities covers the vast majority of encoding needs in everyday web development.
What Is the Difference Between Named and Numeric Entities?
Named entities use human-readable labels like ♥ for a heart symbol. Numeric entities use the Unicode code point, like ♥ for the same heart. Both produce identical results in browsers. Named entities are easier to read in source code but only exist for common characters. Numeric entities can represent any Unicode character, making them more versatile for special symbols and international characters.