HTML Entity Encoder & Decoder
Convert special symbols into Named (&), Decimal (&), and Hex (&) HTML entities, or decode entities to plain text.
What is the HTML Entity Encoder & Decoder?
The NexTools HTML Entity Encoder & Decoder is a developer security utility that converts characters with special meanings in HTML (such as `<`, `>`, `&`, `"`, and `'`) into safe HTML character entity references. In HTML documents, browsers interpret these characters as opening or closing tags. If untrusted user inputs containing these characters are rendered without escaping, the application becomes vulnerable to Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) attacks.
This tool provides bidirectional support: encoding raw strings into Named (`<`), Decimal (`<`), or Hexadecimal (`<`) entities, as well as decoding obfuscated HTML entities back into their clean, human-readable UTF-8 representation.
Key Capabilities & Features
Three Entity Formats
Switch seamlessly between standard Named entities (`©`), Decimal entities (`©`), and Hex entities (`©`).
XSS Prevention Sanitization
Safely renders raw HTML code snippets into literal text on websites and technical blogs without triggering browser script execution.
Bidirectional Decoding
Decode messy web-scraped content or email payloads containing mixed decimal, hex, and named entities back to plain text.
Full Unicode Support
Properly handles emojis, mathematical notation, currency symbols, and international non-ASCII diacritics.
How to Encode or Decode HTML Entities
Choose Encode or Decode Mode
Select "Encode to Entities" to protect raw text, or "Decode to Plain Text" to restore entity references.
Select Entity Format
Choose between Named (`"`), Decimal (`"`), or Hexadecimal (`"`) encoding output.
Copy Converted Text
The result updates in real time. Click "Copy Output" to paste safely into your HTML source code or CMS.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What are the 5 core XML/HTML reserved characters?
The five fundamental characters that must be escaped in HTML to prevent parsing confusion are Ampersand (`&` to `&`), Less Than (`<` to `<`), Greater Than (`>` to `>`), Double Quote (`"` to `"`), and Single Quote (`'` to `'`).
Why should I use decimal or hex entities over named entities?
While named entities like `©` are human-readable, decimal (`©`) and hex (`©`) numeric references are universally compatible across older XML parsers, SVG processors, and RSS feeds that may lack standard HTML5 entity dictionaries.
Does this run on your server?
No. All character conversions and entity replacements are performed 100% locally in your web browser with zero server overhead.