HTML Encoder
Escape HTML special characters (< > & " ').
- Reading time:
- 2 min
- Last updated:
- Price:
- Free, no signup
Type or paste text to see the result.
What the HTML Encoder does
Convert characters that have special meaning in HTML into safe entities. '<b>' becomes '<b>', '&' becomes '&' and quotes become '"', so the browser shows them as text instead of treating them as code.
This is how you display a snippet of HTML on a web page — in a tutorial, a forum post or documentation — without it being rendered.
Why the HTML Encoder is useful
Paste '<script>' straight into a page and the browser will try to run it. Escaping is the basic defence that keeps user-supplied text from breaking a layout or opening a security hole.
Bloggers who write about code need it constantly: without encoding, every example tag simply disappears from the published article.
Also known as: html encoder, html escape, free html encoder, online html encoder, html encoder online free, html encoder tool, best html encoder tool.
How to use the HTML Encoder
- 1
Paste your HTML or text
Anything containing <, >, & or quotes.
- 2
Copy the encoded result
Special characters are replaced with entities.
- 3
Paste it into your page
Visitors will now see the code itself, not its effect.
Key features
- Escapes <, >, &, double and single quotes
- Leaves ordinary letters and numbers untouched
- Instant output as you type
- Copy and download buttons
Benefits
- Show code examples that actually appear on the page
- Prevent stray tags from wrecking a layout
- Reduce the risk of script injection in hand-built pages
Real-life use cases
Writing a coding tutorial
A blogger encodes '<div class="card">' so readers see the tag in the article instead of an empty box.
Posting to a forum
Someone asking for help encodes their template before pasting it, so moderators can read the markup they're struggling with.
Tips for the best results
- Always encode '&' first in manual edits, or you'll double-escape entities you just added.
- Inside <pre><code> blocks you still need encoding — those tags don't switch off HTML parsing.
- Encoding is not a complete security solution for user input on a live site; use your framework's escaping too.
Conclusion
Encode any snippet before you publish it, and your readers will see the exact code you meant to show them.
Frequently asked questions
Which characters get encoded?
- The five that matter in HTML: <, >, &, " and '.
Why did my code disappear when I published it?
- The browser read it as real HTML. Encoding it first makes it display as text.
Does it encode emoji or accented letters?
- No need — modern pages using UTF-8 display those directly.
What's the difference from URL encoding?
- HTML encoding uses entities like < for web pages; URL encoding uses %XX for web addresses.
How do I reverse it?
- Use the HTML Decoder to turn entities back into characters.
Is this enough to stop XSS?
- It helps with text placed inside HTML, but attributes, URLs and scripts need context-specific escaping as well.
Related tools you may need
- HTML Entity Encoder/Decoder — Convert text to HTML entities and back again.
- Morse Code Encoder — Convert text into international Morse code.
- ROT13 Encoder — Apply the classic ROT13 letter rotation.
- URL Encoder — Percent-encode text for safe use in URLs.
- Base64 Encoder — Encode text to Base64 (UTF-8 safe).
- HTML Decoder — Decode HTML entities back to plain characters.
- Base64 Decoder — Decode Base64 back to readable UTF-8 text.
- Caesar Cipher — Encrypt or decrypt text with the classic Caesar shift (13).
Keep exploring
Browse the full tools directory, filter by category, or read guides on the Text Tools Hub blog.