Articles / Developer Tools
HTML Entity Encoder and Decoder: A Complete Beginner's Guide
HTML documents use special characters such as angle brackets and ampersands to define markup. When you want to display these characters as ordinary text, you may need to convert them into HTML entities. Websitewire's free HTML Entity Encoder and Decoder makes this process simple.
What are HTML entities?
HTML entities are character representations used in HTML. They can be written with a named form, such as <, or a numeric form, such as <. Browsers interpret these representations and display the corresponding characters.
For example, the less-than character < is commonly represented as <. This is useful because the less-than character also has a special role in HTML tags.
What does an HTML entity encoder do?
An HTML entity encoder converts selected special characters into their entity forms. Websitewire's encoder replaces these five characters:
&becomes&<becomes<>becomes>"becomes"'becomes'
Other characters are left unchanged by this tool.
What does an HTML entity decoder do?
A decoder converts HTML entity representations back into their corresponding characters. For example, decoding <h1> produces <h1>. This is helpful when you receive encoded text and want to read or reuse its original characters.
How to use the Websitewire HTML Entity Converter
- Open the HTML Entity Encoder and Decoder.
- Enter or paste your text in the input box.
- Choose Encode entities to convert the supported special characters into entities.
- Choose Decode entities to convert entity text back into readable characters.
- Check the result in the Output area.
- Select Copy output to copy the result. If clipboard access is unavailable, select and copy the output manually.
Practical examples
Example 1: Encoding HTML-like text
Input: <h1>Hello & welcome</h1> Output: <h1>Hello & welcome</h1>
Example 2: Decoding entity text
Input: Tom & Jerry Output: Tom & Jerry
When might you need an HTML entity converter?
- Writing tutorials: Show HTML snippets as text without the browser treating them as markup.
- Preparing examples: Display special characters in documentation or educational content.
- Reading encoded text: Decode entity strings copied from HTML content.
- Debugging: Check whether text contains encoded special characters.
- Content editing: Convert supported characters before placing examples into an HTML page.
Does the converter upload your text?
No. The Websitewire tool performs its encoding and decoding operations locally in your browser. The tool page states that your input is not uploaded. Avoid putting passwords, private keys, or other sensitive information into any online tool unless you have independently checked how it works.
Important things to remember
- The encoder handles five specific characters: ampersand, less-than, greater-than, double quotation mark, and apostrophe.
- The decoder uses the browser's HTML parsing behavior to interpret entity text.
- Encoding text is not a substitute for context-aware output handling or a complete security solution.
- For website development, always use appropriate escaping and security practices for the exact context where data will be displayed.
Frequently asked questions
Is the HTML Entity Converter free?
Yes. You can use the Websitewire HTML Entity Converter online without installing software.
Can I both encode and decode text?
Yes. The tool has separate buttons for encoding entities and decoding them.
Can I copy the converted result?
Yes. Use the Copy output button. If clipboard access is blocked by your browser, manually select the output and copy it.
Does it convert every special character?
The encoder converts the five characters listed in this guide. It does not encode every possible symbol or character.
Can I use encoded text to make HTML safe?
Entity encoding can help represent certain characters in HTML text, but security depends on the context. It does not replace proper input validation, sanitization, or context-aware output encoding.
Try the free HTML Entity Converter
Convert special characters into HTML entities or decode entity text in a few steps. Open the tool and process your text directly in your browser.
Use HTML Entity Encoder & Decoder
Websitewire note: This guide explains the current features of the Websitewire HTML Entity Encoder and Decoder. Tool behavior may change when the tool is updated.