What is the HTML Entity Encoder?
The HTML Entity Encoder is a free developer tool that converts reserved characters (like < and >) into their corresponding HTML entities safely. It prevents browser rendering errors and protects your website against XSS (Cross-Site Scripting) attacks.
Why do we need HTML Entities?
In HTML, certain characters are \"reserved\" and have special meaning. For example, the less-than sign (<) and greater-than sign (>) are used to create HTML tags. If you try to display a mathematical equation like \"5 < 10\" on a webpage, the browser might think \"< 10\" is the start of a broken HTML tag, causing the page to break. To fix this, we replace the character with its entity equivalent (e.g., <).
Security & XSS Prevention
Encoding HTML is critical for web security. If your website allows users to post comments or submit forms, a malicious user could type a dangerous JavaScript payload inside an HTML tag. By encoding user input before displaying it, the browser treats the payload as harmless text rather than executing it.
How to use this tool
- Select whether you want to \"Encode HTML\" or \"Decode HTML\".
- Paste your source code or text into the input box on the left.
- The tool instantly converts reserved characters into HTML-safe entity codes.
- Click Copy to use the safe text in your code editor or CMS.