Character Encoding Converter
Convert text to various character encodings including UTF-8, hex, binary, and Unicode.
What is the Character Encoding Converter?
The Character Encoding Converter is a free browser tool that converts any text into different byte and character representations. It supports UTF-8 hex bytes, hexadecimal, decimal, binary, Base64, Unicode code points, and HTML entities.
It encodes your input with the browser's TextEncoder to produce the underlying UTF-8 bytes, then formats those bytes for the byte-oriented modes. The Unicode and HTML entity modes work per character so you can inspect code points and entity references directly.
Conversion updates automatically as you type or change the output format, and everything runs locally in your browser with no signup and no data sent anywhere.
How to use the Character Encoding Converter
- 1Type or paste your text into the input box, or pick one of the English, Chinese, special characters, or emoji examples.
- 2Choose an output format from the dropdown: UTF-8 hex, hexadecimal, decimal, binary, Base64, Unicode code points, or HTML entities.
- 3Watch the encoded output update instantly in the read-only output area as you change the text or format.
- 4Click Copy to Clipboard to copy the encoded result.
- 5Press Ctrl+L to clear everything and reset to the default sample text.
What you can use it for
- Inspecting the raw UTF-8 byte sequence of multibyte characters such as Chinese text or emoji.
- Generating HTML entities for non-ASCII characters so they render reliably across pages and email clients.
- Looking up the Unicode code points of symbols and special characters while debugging text rendering.
- Producing a Base64 string from text for use in data URIs or simple transport encoding.
- Viewing the binary or decimal representation of characters when teaching or learning how encoding works.
Key features
- Seven output formats covering byte-level, code-point, and entity representations.
- Live conversion that updates as you type or switch formats, with no separate convert button.
- Uses the browser TextEncoder so multibyte and emoji input produce correct UTF-8 bytes.
- Runs fully client-side with one-click copy and no account required.
Frequently asked questions
What is a character encoding converter used for?
It converts text into alternative representations such as UTF-8 bytes, hexadecimal, decimal, binary, Base64, Unicode code points, and HTML entities. Developers use it to inspect how characters are stored and to debug text that displays incorrectly.
Does the converter support emoji and non-English characters?
Yes. It encodes input with the browser TextEncoder, so multibyte characters like Chinese text and emoji are converted to their correct UTF-8 byte sequences in the byte-oriented formats.
How do I convert text to HTML entities?
Select the HTML Entities format from the dropdown. Characters above code point 127 are converted to numeric entities like 你, while standard ASCII characters are left unchanged.
Is the character encoding converter free and private?
Yes. The tool is free, needs no account, and performs every conversion locally in your browser. The text you enter is never uploaded to a server.
What is the difference between the UTF-8 and hexadecimal formats?
Both show the bytes in base 16. The UTF-8 format lists each byte as a plain two-digit hex value, while the hexadecimal format prefixes each byte with 0x and uppercases the digits for easier reading in code.
Can I copy the encoded output?
Yes. The encoded result appears in a read-only field, and the Copy to Clipboard button copies the full output so you can paste it into your code or documents.