Convert special characters to HTML entities
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HTML encoding is the process of converting special characters into HTML entities. Characters like <, >, and & have special meaning in HTML, so they must be encoded to display correctly. For example, < becomes < and & becomes &.
HTML encoded means that special characters have been converted to their entity equivalents. This ensures they display as text rather than being interpreted as HTML markup. For example, <script> encoded becomes <script>.
HTML encoding is required to: 1) Display special characters correctly in web pages, 2) Prevent XSS (Cross-Site Scripting) attacks by neutralizing malicious code, 3) Ensure data integrity when storing user input, 4) Make HTML valid and well-formed.
Yes, HTML encoding is a crucial defense against XSS attacks. By encoding characters like < and >, you prevent browsers from interpreting user input as executable code. However, context matters - you also need proper encoding for JavaScript, URLs, and CSS contexts.
Use our tool: paste your text, click "Encode HTML". In JavaScript: element.textContent = text auto-encodes, or use a library. In PHP: htmlspecialchars($string). In Python: html.escape(string).
HTML entities are codes representing characters. They start with & and end with ;. Named entities like < (less than) use descriptive names. Numeric entities like < use character codes. Extended entities like © represent symbols (©).