HTML Entities

Convert characters like <, >, & to their HTML entities (&lt; &gt; &amp;) or back to characters. Runs in your browser — nothing is uploaded.

Conversions
Encode

About HTML Entities Encoder/Decoder

HTML Entities Encoder/Decoder swaps between raw text and HTML-encoded text. Encode <script> so it displays as text in a blog post rather than running; decode '&eacute;' back to 'é' when copying from an old HTML export to a modern editor. Choose which characters get encoded — only the four essentials (& < > "), or also single quotes, or every non-ASCII character via named or numeric entities. Everything runs locally in your browser, so HTML-containing user input you're testing stays on your device.

Best for

  • Showing code snippets on a page without triggering script execution
  • Decoding named entities from an old HTML export to clean UTF-8 text
  • Encoding quotes inside a JavaScript string that builds HTML

Pros

  • +Pick essential, extended, or full-coverage entity set
  • +Bidirectional — encode raw to &entity;, decode &entity; back to raw
  • +Local JavaScript only — user input stays on your device

Cons

  • −Entities are an HTML-spec thing; not useful for non-HTML contexts
  • −Some edge entities (ℜ, ℑ — only the future-HTML ones) decode only on modern browsers

How to use HTML Entities Encoder/Decoder

  1. 1

    Select or upload the source files from your local device storage.

  2. 2

    Specify conversion settings, options, or target output formats.

  3. 3

    Wait for the client-side browser logic to process the files securely.

  4. 4

    Download the finalized outputs directly to your system.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between essential and full entity encoding?
Essential covers the four characters that need encoding to keep HTML valid (&, <, >, "). Extended also encodes single quotes and a wider set of symbols. Full encodes every non-ASCII character as a named or numeric entity, useful when serving to very old browsers or strict XML parsers.
Can I decode an old page's entities to clean UTF-8 text?
Yes. Paste the HTML containing named entities, choose decode, and you get clean text with the entities replaced by their characters. Useful when modernizing an old HTML export or CMS dump.
Is encoding necessary for content inside '<textarea>' too?
Strictly no for body but yes if the textarea contains '</textarea>'. The safest approach is to encode the closing-tag pattern only, or escape the whole field. The dev_html tool covers the four characters that keep HTML structured.
Why does decoding some entities show '?' on old browsers?
A few entities map to characters outside the Basic Multilingual Plane (rare math or APL symbols). Modern browsers render them; some very old browsers don't have the glyphs. For most modern content this isn't an issue.
Are my HTML snippets uploaded?
Never. Decode and encode run via local JavaScript string replacement. User input you're testing and any HTML containing sensitive paths stay on your device.

Related tools

FREE

100% Free

No hidden fees, no subscriptions, and no limits. Enjoy complete access to all features gratis.

SIGNUP

No Signup Required

Start converting immediately without creating an account or sharing email address.

PRIVACY

Private & Secure

Your files never leave your device. All processing is completed locally for maximum privacy.

BATCH

Batch Conversion

Convert multiple files simultaneously to save time. Fast and efficient multi-file queue.

LOCAL

Runs in Browser

Utilizes advanced client-side WebAssembly technology to process files directly inside your tab.

FORMATS

200+ Formats

Supports a wide variety of formats including images, documents, audio, video, and more.

USER REVIEWS

HTML Entities Quality Rating

4.8
25 reviews

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