HTML Entities
Escape text for HTML, or turn entities back into the characters they stand for.
The five reserved characters are all HTML actually needs. Escaping accents as well is only useful for a file that has lost its encoding.
What it does
HTML Entities reads the whole document before doing anything, so what comes back is either valid output or a specific error with the position that caused it — not a partially rewritten file.
When you need it
Usually when something has already gone wrong: a config file an application will not load, an API response that has to be read by a human, or an export that has to be checked before it goes anywhere near a database.
Limits and caveats
Key order is preserved as it appears in the input. Very large documents are limited by your device's memory rather than by an upload cap, since the parsing happens locally. Everything happens in your browser, so the file never leaves your device.
How to use the HTML Entities
- Paste your content, or load a file.
- The result appears as you type.
- Copy or download the output.
Frequently asked questions
- Should I escape accented letters too?
- Almost never. The five reserved characters are all HTML needs on a UTF-8 page, and escaping everything else just makes the source unreadable. The option is there for a file that has lost its encoding.
- What does decode to?
- A real non-breaking space, U+00A0 — faithfully, because a decoder that quietly turns it into an ordinary space is changing your text. Use Find invisible characters if you want it gone.
- Do my files get uploaded?
- No. This tool runs entirely in your browser, so the file never leaves your device.