What is an HTML Entity Converter?
An HTML Entity Converter is a tool that converts characters with special meaning in HTML documents (<, >, &, ", etc.) into safe entity codes, or restores entity codes back to their original characters.
It is essential in web development for preventing XSS (Cross-Site Scripting) attacks, displaying HTML source code, and safely inserting special characters. This tool supports Named entities (&), Numeric entities (&), and Hex entities (&).
Key Features
Real-time Conversion
Results are displayed instantly as you type. No need to press a separate convert button — encoding/decoding results appear immediately.
Named Entity Support
Fully supports W3C standard named entities such as < > & " © ® ™ and more.
Numeric/Hex Entity Support
Encode and decode both decimal (<) and hexadecimal (<) numeric entities.
Encode/Decode Mode Toggle
Switch between encode and decode modes with a single click. A swap feature is also available to exchange input and output.
Entity Reference Table
Provides a reference table with 23+ common HTML entities showing Named and Numeric formats at a glance.
How to Use
- Select Mode — Choose the conversion direction using the Encode/Decode toggle at the top.
- Enter Text — Type or paste the text or HTML entities you want to convert in the left input area.
- View Results — The conversion result appears in real-time in the right output area as you type.
- Copy Result — Click the copy button to copy the conversion result to your clipboard.
Use Cases
XSS Attack Prevention
Convert special characters to entities when displaying user input in HTML to prevent script injection attacks.
Display HTML Source Code
Convert HTML tags to entities when showing code in blogs or documentation so they render as text instead of being executed.
Email Address Obfuscation
Convert email addresses to HTML entities to make it harder for web crawlers to automatically harvest them.
Insert Special Characters
Safely insert special characters like copyright (©), registered trademark (®), and euro sign (€) that aren't on the keyboard.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are HTML entities?
HTML entities are codes used to represent characters with special meaning in HTML or characters that are difficult to display. For example, '<' is represented as '<' and '&' as '&'. There are three forms: Named (&), Numeric (&), and Hex (&).
Why is HTML entity conversion necessary?
In HTML, characters like <, >, and & are interpreted as the start of tags or entities. To display these characters as text, they must be converted to entities. It's also essential for XSS prevention, source code display, and special character insertion.
What's the difference between Named and Numeric entities?
Named entities use descriptive names like < and ©, while Numeric entities use Unicode code point numbers like < and ©. Named entities are easier to remember, while Numeric entities can represent any Unicode character.
Do I need to convert all characters to entities?
No. Only 4 characters must be converted: <, >, &, and ". Other special characters can be optionally converted as needed. This tool automatically converts the essential characters.
Where is my input data stored?
Your input data is processed entirely within your browser and is never sent to any server. All data is cleared when you close the page.
Privacy Notice
This HTML Entity Converter processes all conversions in your browser. No text you enter is ever sent to any server, and no data is stored externally.
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