What are HTML entities?

HTML entities are special codes used to represent characters that have special meaning in HTML or that are difficult to type directly. For example, the less-than sign (<) must be written as < to prevent the browser from interpreting it as the start of an HTML tag. Entities can be written as named (&), decimal (&), or hexadecimal (&) references.

When should I encode HTML entities?

You should encode HTML entities whenever you are inserting user-generated content or dynamic text into an HTML document, email template, or CMS field. This prevents Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) attacks and ensures the browser displays your text correctly rather than trying to interpret special characters as HTML markup.

What is the difference between named, decimal, and hex entities?

Named entities use a human-readable name (e.g. < for <). Decimal entities use the Unicode code point as a decimal number (e.g. < for <). Hexadecimal entities use the code point in hex with an x prefix (e.g. < for <). All three formats produce the same result in the browser — use whichever fits your context or coding style.

Is my data private when using this tool?

Yes, completely. HTML Entity Encoder runs entirely in your browser using JavaScript. Your text is never sent to any server, logged, or stored anywhere. This makes it safe to use even with sensitive content such as API keys, tokens, or private configuration data.

Which characters does this tool encode?

The tool encodes all characters that require escaping in HTML, including: (greater-than), & (ampersand), " (double quote), ' (single quote / apostrophe), and all other non-ASCII Unicode characters that have corresponding HTML entity codes. The full encode mode also encodes every character with a named or numeric entity equivalent.

Can I decode partial HTML mixed with plain text?

Yes. The decoder processes any string and converts all HTML entity sequences it finds — whether named (&), decimal (<), or hex (<) — back to their corresponding characters, leaving the rest of the text unchanged.

Free HTML Encoding Tool

Encode & Decode
HTML Entities Instantly

Convert special characters like <, >, &, and " to safe HTML entities — and back. Essential for template developers, email HTML, and CMS content. 100% client-side.

🔐

Encode to Entities

Convert special characters to named, decimal, or hex HTML entities in one click.

🔓

Decode Entities

Turn &lt;, <, or < back into readable, human-friendly text instantly.

🔒

100% Private

All processing happens in your browser. Your data never touches a server.

Mode:

Format:

Plain Text / HTML

0 characters

Encoded Output

0 characters

Quick examples:

Common HTML Entities Reference

Character	Named	Decimal	Hex
<	<	<	<
>	>	>	>
&	&	&	&
"	"	"	"
'	'	'	'
©	©	©	©
®	®	®	®
™	™	™	™
€	€	€	€
£	£	£	£
—	—	—	—
…	…	…	…

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about HTML Entity Encoder.

Character	Named	Decimal	Hex
<	<	<	<
>	>	>	>
&	&	&	&
"	"	"	"
'	'	'	'
©	©	©	©
®	®	®	®
™	™	™	™
€	€	€	€
£	£	£	£
—	—	—	—
…	…	…	…

Character	Named	Decimal	Hex
<	<	<	<
>	>	>	>
&	&	&	&
"	"	"	"
'	'	'	'
©	©	©	©
®	®	®	®
™	™	™	™
€	€	€	€
£	£	£	£
—	—	—	—
…	…	…	…

Encode & DecodeHTML Entities Instantly