What are HTML entities?

They are codes that represent special characters in HTML, like & for an ampersand or © for the copyright symbol. They let you display characters that would otherwise be interpreted as markup or that are hard to type.

When should I encode text as entities?

Whenever text contains or & that should display literally rather than act as markup, and for characters outside your page encoding. Encoding user content before inserting it into HTML also reduces injection risks.

What is the difference between named and numeric entities?

Named entities like € are readable; numeric ones like € or € address the character by its Unicode code point. Both render identically, so pick whichever your workflow prefers.

Does entity encoding prevent XSS?

It helps: encoding output stops injected tags from being parsed as HTML. But real XSS defense also needs context-aware escaping (attributes, JavaScript, URLs), input validation and a Content-Security-Policy, so do not rely on encoding alone.

How many entities are in the reference?

250 entries covering the symbols developers use most: punctuation, quotes, dashes, currency, math operators, arrows, fractions and accented Latin letters. Use the search box to find one by name or appearance.

Is my text sent to a server?

No. Encoding, decoding and the reference search all run locally in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or stored.

HTML Entities - Free Online Character Encoder Tool | IconVault

Encode text to HTML entities and decode entities back, with a searchable 250-entry reference. Named and numeric entities. Free, in-browser.

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HTML Entities

Encode and decode HTML entities with a 250-entry reference

5 of 5 free uses left

Text to encode

Result

Tom &amp; Jerry &lt;3 &mdash; 50% off!

5 of 5 free copies left - conversion runs fully in your browser.

Entity reference (243)

Click any entity to copy it. Unknown characters encode as numeric &#x; entities.

About this tool

IconVault's HTML Entities tool encodes text into HTML entities and decodes entities back to characters, instantly. Paste anything with special characters, symbols or markup and get properly encoded output using named entities like &amp;, decimal codes like &#169; or hex codes like &#xA9;, or reverse the process to turn entity soup back into readable text.

It also includes a searchable 250-entry reference of the entities developers actually reach for: punctuation, quotes, currency, math, arrows and accented letters. Encoding special characters correctly keeps your markup valid and text displaying as intended instead of breaking tags. It is free with no signup and runs fully in your browser. The honest note: entity encoding is one layer of output safety, not a complete XSS defense on its own.

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HTML Entities - Free Online Character Encoder Tool | IconVault

HTML Entities

Entity reference (243)

About this tool

Frequently asked questions

Popular searches

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