Effortless HTML Code Conversion Online
Easily encode and decode HTML entities. A simple, fast, and free tool for developers and content creators.
Get StartedHTML Entity Converter
Paste your HTML code, convert it to entities or decode entities back to HTML characters. Copy the result instantly.
Why Use Our HTML Entity Converter?
Our tool provides an intuitive and fast way to manage HTML entities directly in your browser.
Encode/Decode HTML
Convert special characters to HTML entities and vice-versa with a single click.
Instant Conversion
Your HTML code is converted quickly, directly in your browser, ensuring speed and efficiency.
Client-Side Security
No code is sent to servers. All processing is done locally on your device, respecting your privacy.
How It Works
Converting your HTML code is simple with our straightforward process.
Paste Code
Paste your HTML code or text containing special characters into the provided text area.
Choose Action
Click 'Convert to Entities' to encode special characters, or 'Decode Entities' to convert them back.
Copy Result
Click the 'Copy Code' button to instantly copy the converted HTML to your clipboard.
Understanding HTML Entities: Encoding and Decoding for the Web
Unlock the essentials of HTML entities. Learn why they are used, common examples, and how they ensure your web content is displayed correctly and securely.
What are HTML Entities?
HTML entities are special sequences of characters used to represent reserved characters or symbols that might otherwise be misinterpreted by a web browser or are not easily typable. They begin with an ampersand (&) and end with a semicolon (;). There are two types: named entities (e.g., < for <) and numeric entities (e.g., < for <).
Why Use HTML Entities?
- Reserved Characters: HTML uses characters like
<,>, and&for its syntax. To display these characters literally within your content (e.g., showing an HTML tag as text), you must use their entity forms:<,>, and&respectively. This prevents the browser from interpreting them as HTML code. - Special Symbols: Many symbols not found on a standard keyboard, such as copyright (
©for ©), registered trademark (®for ®), currency symbols (€for €), or mathematical symbols, can be easily included using entities. - Non-Breaking Spaces: The entity
- Avoiding Ambiguity: Entities ensure that characters are displayed as intended, especially when dealing with quotes within attribute values (
"for",'or'for').
Common HTML Entities
Here's a table of some frequently used HTML entities:
| Character | Named Entity | Numeric Entity | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| < | < |
< |
Less than sign |
| > | > |
> |
Greater than sign |
| & | & |
& |
Ampersand |
| " | " |
" |
Double quotation mark |
| ' | ' (or ') |
' |
Single quotation mark (apostrophe) |
|
|
Non-breaking space | |
| © | © |
© |
Copyright symbol |
Encoding vs. Decoding
- Encoding (Converting to Entities): This is the process of converting plain characters (like
<,>,&) into their respective HTML entity forms (<,>,&). This is crucial when you need to display HTML code itself as text on a webpage. - Decoding (Converting from Entities): This is the reverse process, transforming HTML entities (like
<) back into their original, literal characters . This can be useful when you retrieve data that has been entity-encoded and you need to process it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Find answers to common questions about our HTML Entity Converter tool.
This tool allows you to encode HTML special characters (like <, >, &) into HTML entities (like <, >, &) and decode HTML entities back into their original characters.
Yes, our HTML Entity Converter is completely free to use for all your HTML encoding and decoding needs.
No, all HTML processing and conversion happen locally in your browser. Your code or text is not uploaded to any server, ensuring your privacy and security.
The tool can process any text or HTML code. It specifically targets common HTML special characters for encoding and recognizes standard HTML entities for decoding. It's ideal for snippets of HTML or any text where special characters might cause rendering issues.
Simply paste your HTML code or text into the text area. Click "Convert to Entities" to encode it, or "Decode Entities" to convert entities back to characters. Then, click "Copy Code" to copy the result to your clipboard.
You need to convert (encode) HTML special characters if you want to display them literally on a web page without the browser interpreting them as HTML code. For example, to show as text, you must encode it as <p>. This is also crucial for security when displaying user-supplied content.
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