HTML Entity Encoder & Decoder
Encode special characters into standard HTML entities or decode escaped entities back to readable text. Supports named, decimal, and hexadecimal formats with a live character cheat sheet and safe preview.
HTML Entities Quick Reference Cheat Sheet
Search and 1-click copy commonly used HTML entity names, decimal codes, and hexadecimal values.
| Char | Named Entity | Decimal | Hexadecimal | Description | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| & | & | & | & | Ampersand | |
| < | < | < | < | Less than | |
| > | > | > | > | Greater than | |
| " | " | " | " | Double quotation mark | |
| ' | ' | ' | ' | Single quote (apostrophe) | |
| € | € | € | € | Euro sign | |
| £ | £ | £ | £ | Pound sterling sign | |
| ¥ | ¥ | ¥ | ¥ | Yen / Yuan sign | |
| ¢ | ¢ | ¢ | ¢ | Cent sign | |
| © | © | © | © | Copyright symbol | |
| ® | ® | ® | ® | Registered trademark symbol | |
| ™ | ™ | ™ | ™ | Trademark symbol | |
| § | § | § | § | Section sign | |
| ¶ | ¶ | ¶ | ¶ | Pilcrow / Paragraph sign | |
| ♥ | ♥ | ♥ | ♥ | Black heart suit | |
| ± | ± | ± | ± | Plus-minus sign | |
| × | × | × | × | Multiplication sign | |
| ÷ | ÷ | ÷ | ÷ | Division sign | |
| ≠ | ≠ | ≠ | ≠ | Not equal to | |
| ≤ | ≤ | ≤ | ≤ | Less-than or equal to | |
| ≥ | ≥ | ≥ | ≥ | Greater-than or equal to | |
| ∞ | ∞ | ∞ | ∞ | Infinity symbol | |
| ° | ° | ° | ° | Degree sign | |
| ← | ← | ← | ← | Leftwards arrow | |
| → | → | → | → | Rightwards arrow | |
| ↑ | ↑ | ↑ | ↑ | Upwards arrow | |
| ↓ | ↓ | ↓ | ↓ | Downwards arrow | |
| ↔ | ↔ | ↔ | ↔ | Left right arrow | |
| ⇒ | ⇒ | ⇒ | ⇒ | Rightwards double arrow | |
|   |   | Non-breaking space | ||
| — | — | — | — | Em dash | |
| – | – | – | – | En dash | |
| • | • | • | • | Bullet point | |
| … | … | … | … | Horizontal ellipsis |
Why Use This HTML Entity Encoder & Decoder?
Built for developers, technical writers, and security professionals who need precise character sanitization.
XSS & Injection Protection
Sanitize untrusted user input before embedding it inside HTML markup or attribute strings.
Named, Decimal & Hex Formats
Choose between human-readable names like © or numeric codes (© / ©) for legacy email clients.
Searchable Entity Reference
Access an instant cheat sheet of mathematical symbols, arrows, currencies, and punctuation with 1-click copy.
100% Client-Side Privacy
Your strings, code, and confidential tokens are processed locally in your browser without transmitting any data.
How to Encode and Decode HTML Entities
Choose Encode or Decode Mode
Select "Encode" to transform raw HTML/text into safe entities, or "Decode" to convert entities back into characters.
Customize Format & Scope
Pick your desired entity format (Named, Decimal, Hex) and choose whether to encode only special characters or all non-ASCII symbols.
Inspect & Compare Results
Review the live character count, detected entities, and verify the rendered visual appearance in the safe preview.
Copy or Download Output
Copy the transformed result to your clipboard with one click or download it directly as an HTML or TXT file.
Frequently Asked Questions about HTML Entities
What is an HTML entity and why is it used?
An HTML entity is a piece of text that begins with an ampersand (&) and ends with a semicolon (;). They are used to display reserved characters (like < and > which would otherwise be parsed as HTML tags) or characters that are difficult to type on a standard keyboard (like © or €).
What are the 5 core XML / HTML special characters that must be escaped?
The five fundamental characters are: ampersand (&), less-than (<), greater-than (>), double quote ("), and single quote/apostrophe (' or '). Escaping these prevents browsers from mistaking user input for HTML tags or attribute boundaries.
What is the difference between Named, Decimal, and Hexadecimal entities?
Named entities use mnemonic words (like © or €) which are easy for humans to read. Decimal entities use numeric Unicode code points in base 10 (like ©), while Hexadecimal entities use base 16 (like ©). Numeric entities are universally supported by all parsers and XML processors.
Does encoding HTML entities prevent Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)?
Yes, when rendering user-submitted content inside HTML body elements, encoding special characters (<, >, &, ", ') ensures the browser treats the input as plain text rather than executable markup or script tags.
Does this tool send my text or code to DevsLoad servers?
No. The HTML Entity Encoder & Decoder runs 100% locally in your browser via JavaScript. No input, text, or converted output is ever sent to external servers or logged.