HTML Entity Encoder

HTML Entity Encoder converts special characters to HTML-safe entities and decodes entities back to plain text. It is useful when user input, code snippets, or generated content must appear literally in markup without being interpreted as tags or scripts. For full text transport workflows, this often pairs with URL Encoder for links and Base64 Encoder for compact encoded payloads.

How to use

1. Paste the text or HTML fragment into the editor.
2. Choose encode mode to escape special characters, or decode mode to restore original characters.
3. Select your preferred entity style when encoding: named, decimal, or hexadecimal.
4. Copy the result into templates, CMS fields, or code blocks.

If you publish examples in documentation, validate rendering with Markdown Preview so escaped content appears exactly as expected.

Key features

• Two-way conversion between readable text and HTML entities.
• Support for named, decimal, and hexadecimal entity formats.
• Immediate conversion results for rapid debugging and editing.
• Browser-only processing for private handling of sensitive content.

Common use cases

• Escaping user-submitted comments before rendering in templates.
• Embedding raw code samples in documentation pages.
• Preserving symbols such as &, <, and > inside CMS content.
• Preparing safe snippets for email and marketing editors.

Technical details

In HTML, certain characters control document structure. The ampersand starts entity references, angle brackets delimit tags, and quotes can terminate attributes. Encoding these characters prevents parsers from treating user data as executable markup.

Entity formats are equivalent at render time:

• Named: &, <, ©
• Decimal: &, <, ©
• Hex: &, <, ©

At minimum, encode &, <, and >. In attribute contexts, encode quotes as well. Context still matters: HTML encoding does not replace JavaScript escaping, CSS escaping, or URL encoding. For href values, apply URL rules with URL Encoder before inserting data into markup.

FAQ

When should I escape HTML entities instead of URL-encoding text?

Escape HTML entities when text will be rendered inside HTML markup. URL encoding is for links, query parameters, and other URL components.

Which characters should always be encoded in HTML?

At minimum encode ampersands, less-than signs, and greater-than signs. In attributes, also encode double and single quotes to avoid breaking markup or creating injection risks.

Do named, decimal, and hex entities produce different output in the browser?

No, they represent the same character once rendered. The difference is readability and compatibility preference in source code.

Can HTML entity encoding stop every XSS attack by itself?

No. Proper output encoding is critical, but robust XSS defense also needs input validation, context-aware escaping, and secure framework defaults.

Privacy note

All encoding and decoding is performed locally in your browser. Your content is not uploaded, stored, or shared.