HTML Entity Encode

Introduction

HTML Entity Encode converts raw HTML (or text containing special characters) into safe HTML entities so it can be displayed literally in web pages, pasted into code samples, or stored without being interpreted by browsers. This is useful for developers, content authors, and documentation writers who need to show HTML snippets, prevent injection, or safely display user-provided markup.

What is this tool?

The tool replaces characters that have special meaning in HTML with their corresponding entities (for example < becomes &lt;, & becomes &amp;, " becomes &quot;, ' becomes &#39;). Options may include encoding only the minimal set of characters required for safety, encoding all non-ASCII characters into numeric entities, and choosing decimal or hexadecimal numeric forms. The result is a string that browsers will render as literal text rather than parsing it as HTML.

Why use this tool?

• Documentation and tutorials: Display example HTML safely in docs and blog posts.
• Safe output: Prevent markup injection where raw input could be interpreted by the browser.
• Code samples: Prepare code snippets for CMSs or editors that strip or alter markup.
• International text: Optionally encode non-ASCII characters into numeric entities for legacy systems or specific encoding requirements.

How to use it

1. Paste or type your HTML/snippet into the input field (e.g., <div class="note">Hi "there"</div>).
2. Choose options: minimal encoding (recommended), encode all non-ASCII, numeric (decimal) or numeric (hex) entities.
3. Click “Encode.”
4. Copy the encoded output and paste into your documentation, HTML-pre block, or CMS field.
5. To reverse, use the Decode option to convert entities back into original characters.

Example

Input:

<div class="test">Hello & "World" – © 2026</div>

Minimal encode (safe for display):

<div class="test">Hello & "World" – © 2026</div>

Numeric (decimal) encode (all non-ASCII encoded):

<div class="test">Hello & "World" – © 2026</div>

FAQ

Do you store my input?
No — inputs are processed in real time and not retained. If your deployment logs inputs, disclose this in your Privacy Policy.

Which characters must be encoded?
At minimum, encode <, >, &, and quotes (", ') when embedding user content into HTML. Encoding additional characters (non-ASCII) is optional and useful for legacy encodings.

Should I use named or numeric entities?
Named entities (like &copy;) are readable and convenient; numeric entities (decimal or hex) are more universal for less common characters. Choose based on your target environment.

Will this prevent XSS?
Entity-encoding user-supplied input before inserting it into HTML contexts is a strong protection against XSS in many cases, but always follow secure coding practices and contextual escaping rules (e.g., different handling for HTML attributes, URLs, JavaScript contexts).