HTML Entity Encoder/Decoder Online - EXUtil Extended Utilities
Free online HTML entity encoder and decoder. Convert between named entities and numeric entities to prevent XSS and rendering issues.
How to use
- Paste or import the content you want to process.
- Choose an available action and run the tool.
- Review the result, then copy or download the output.
Frequently asked questions
- What are HTML entities?
- HTML entities are codes used to display special characters in web pages, like < for < and & for &. They prevent characters from being interpreted as HTML tags.
- When is HTML entity encoding needed?
- When user input needs to be displayed as plain text, to prevent HTML tags from being executed and avoid XSS attacks. Also used to display reserved characters in HTML.
- What's the difference between named and numeric entities?
- Named entities like < > are memorable but limited in number; numeric entities like < > can represent any Unicode character and are more universal.
- Do all characters need encoding?
- No. Only HTML reserved characters (< > & " ') and special control characters need encoding. Regular alphanumeric characters can be used directly.
- How to prevent XSS attacks?
- HTML-encode all user input before displaying it to ensure malicious scripts cannot execute. Also use CSP and other security measures.