Html Entity Encoder — Free Online Tool

An HTML entity encoder converts special characters into their HTML entity equivalents (&, <, >, ", etc.). Developers use it to sanitize user input for safe HTML rendering, prepare code examples for web pages, and prevent XSS vulnerabilities by encoding untrusted content.

Features

• Minimal and full encoding modes: Encode only the essential characters or all non-ASCII characters.
• XSS prevention: Encodes <, >, ", ', and & to prevent script injection in HTML output.
• Named entities: Uses human-readable named entities (&amp; instead of &#38;) where available.
• Works completely offline: Once loaded, processes data without any internet connection.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which characters need HTML encoding?

At minimum: & (&amp;), < (&lt;), > (&gt;), " (&quot;), and ' (&#39;). These prevent parsing issues and XSS.

Does encoding prevent XSS attacks?

HTML entity encoding is one layer of XSS defense. It prevents browsers from interpreting special characters as HTML/script.

What is the difference between named and numeric entities?

Named entities (&amp;) are readable, while numeric (&#38;) are universal. Both render the same character.

Which characters get encoded?

In minimal mode: &, <, >, double quote, and single quote. In full mode, all non-ASCII characters are also converted to entities.

Does it support named entities?

Yes. The encoder uses human-readable named entities like &amp; and &lt; where available, falling back to numeric entities for others.

Is this tool free?

Yes, this tool is completely free with no usage limits, no ads, and no account required.

Does it work offline?

Yes. Once the page loads, all processing happens locally in your browser — no internet connection needed.

Is my data safe with this tool?

Absolutely. Your data never leaves your browser. Everything is processed client-side with zero server uploads.

What happened to smalldev.tools?

smalldev.tools is no longer available. Prism by SWEDevTools offers the same developer tools and more, with offline support, pipeline chaining, and completely free usage — no signup required.

Is Prism a good alternative to freeformatter.com for HTML?

Yes. Prism processes HTML entirely in your browser — no data uploads, no ads, and full offline support. You can also chain HTML tools with other Prism tools in pipelines.