Display code in HTML
Encode angle brackets so code examples render as text instead of elements.
Free browser tool
HTML Entity Encoder and Decoder
This HTML entity encoder and decoder converts characters such as angle brackets, ampersands, quotes, and apostrophes into HTML-safe entities. It also decodes common entities back into readable text for inspection or cleanup.
HTML entities are useful when displaying code examples, escaping text that should not become markup, or debugging copied content from pages and templates.
HTML entity encoder/decoder
Encode special HTML characters or decode HTML entities.
What this tool does
HTML entities represent special characters as safe text. For example, < becomes < and & becomes &. This matters when you want to display code, snippets, or user-provided text without letting it become active markup.
This encoder focuses on common escaping for examples and templates. It is useful for docs, blog posts, support replies, and quick cleanup of copied HTML entity text. It is not a complete HTML sanitizer for untrusted markup.
Common use cases
Decode copied content
Turn entity-heavy text back into readable characters.
Prepare safe examples
Escape text snippets before placing them in static HTML examples.
Example before and after
The encoded output can be displayed inside HTML without being parsed as a real button element.
Original text
<button aria-label="Save">Save</button>Entity-encoded text
<button aria-label="Save">Save</button>How to use
- Paste text with HTML characters or entities.
- Click Encode Entities or Decode Entities.
- Copy the escaped or decoded result.
Common errors
Using encoding as sanitization
Escaping text helps display it safely, but sanitizing arbitrary HTML is a separate security task.
Encoding twice
Double-encoded text can show visible entities such as &lt; instead of <.
Forgetting ampersands
Ampersands should be encoded first so new entity-looking text is not created accidentally.
Why use this tool
Escape code examples for HTML pages.
Decode copied HTML entity text.
Avoid accidental markup in examples and snippets.
Best practices
Escape examples intentionally
Encode snippets that should be shown as text, not executed as markup.
Decode before editing
Decode entity-heavy content before making human edits.
Use real sanitizers for HTML
For untrusted HTML, use a trusted sanitizer in your application stack.
Related tools
Related guides
HTML entities explained
HTML entities let special characters display as text instead of being interpreted as markup.
How to create SEO friendly slugs
Good slugs are short, descriptive, lowercase, hyphen-separated, and stable enough to preserve links over time.
Common text case formats explained
Different systems prefer different naming conventions. Knowing the common case formats makes APIs and code easier to keep consistent.
FAQ
What characters are encoded?
The tool encodes ampersands, angle brackets, double quotes, and apostrophes.
Does this sanitize HTML?
No. It is an encoder/decoder, not a security sanitizer for untrusted HTML.
Can it decode named entities?
Yes. The browser's HTML parser decodes common named and numeric entities.
Is text processed locally?
The tool runs in your browser and does not require login, a database, or server-side processing.