HTML Entity Encoder
Encode and decode HTML entities. Convert special characters to HTML entities for safe display. All processing happens in your browser.
Common HTML Entities
Click to insert character into input
Entity Reference
| Character | Named | Decimal | Hex |
|---|---|---|---|
| & | & | & | & |
| < | < | < | < |
| > | > | > | > |
| " | " | " | " |
| ' | ' | ' | ' |
| © | © | © | © |
| ® | ® | ® | ® |
| € | € | € | € |
| — | — | — | — |
| → | → | → | → |
🔒 Privacy First: All encoding and decoding happens in your browser. Your text is never sent to any server.
How to Use
- Enter text in the input field
- Choose an encoding mode based on your needs
- View encoded output (converts characters to entities)
- View decoded output (converts entities to characters)
- Copy the result you need
About HTML Entities
HTML entities are used to display characters that have special meaning in HTML or that can't be easily typed. The five most important entities are: < for <, > for >, & for &, " for ", and ' for '.
Encoding user input as HTML entities is crucial for web security. It prevents Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) attacks by ensuring that special characters are displayed as text rather than interpreted as HTML code.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are HTML entities?
HTML entities are special codes used to represent characters that have special meaning in HTML (like < > &) or characters not easily typed on a keyboard. For example, < represents <, > represents >, and & represents &.
Why do I need to encode HTML entities?
Encoding prevents special characters from being interpreted as HTML code. This is essential for security (preventing XSS attacks) and for displaying characters like < and > as text rather than HTML tags.
What's the difference between named and numeric entities?
Named entities use descriptive names like © for ©, while numeric entities use character codes like © or ©. Named entities are more readable but numeric entities cover more characters.
When should I use HTML entities?
Use HTML entities when: displaying user input in HTML to prevent XSS, showing code examples on web pages, including special characters in HTML attributes, or displaying characters that aren't on your keyboard.
What characters must always be encoded in HTML?
Five characters must always be encoded in HTML content: < (<), > (>), & (&), " ("), and ' (' or '). These have special meaning in HTML syntax.
Is my data secure when using this encoder?
Yes, all encoding and decoding happens entirely in your browser using JavaScript. Your text is never sent to any server, ensuring complete privacy for any content you process.