How to use the URL Builder
Build a URL in three steps:
1
Fill in the core fields
Select the protocol, enter the hostname, and optionally set the port, path, and fragment. The live URL preview at the top updates immediately.
2
Add query parameters
Add key-value rows in the query parameters table. Enable or disable individual params using the checkbox per row. Delete rows with the trash icon. Values are percent-encoded automatically.
3
Copy the built URL
Click 'Copy URL' in the live preview bar to copy the complete URL. The footer shows total character count and active parameter count.
When to use this tool
Use the URL builder to construct, modify, and test URLs without manual string concatenation:
- →Building API endpoint URLs with multiple query parameters without manually percent-encoding each value
- →Constructing paginated API request URLs by adjusting page, limit, and filter parameters in the row editor
- →Building OAuth authorization URLs with all required parameters (client_id, redirect_uri, scope, state) in one view
- →Creating deep link URLs for mobile apps with multiple parameters that need correct encoding
- →Assembling search engine query URLs with keywords, filters, and pagination parameters for testing
- →Quickly toggling parameters on and off to test how an API endpoint behaves with different combinations
Frequently asked questions
Q:Are query parameter values automatically percent-encoded?
Yes — the URL builder uses URLSearchParams internally to assemble the query string, which automatically applies correct percent-encoding to all key and value content. You can type raw values with spaces, Unicode, ampersands, or any special characters in the value field — they are encoded correctly in the final URL without any manual escaping.
Q:What does the enable/disable checkbox do for each parameter?
The checkbox in each query parameter row lets you include or exclude that parameter from the built URL without deleting the row. Disabled rows are shown greyed out and are not included in the output URL. This is useful for testing URL behaviour with different parameter combinations — toggle individual params on and off to compare results, then re-enable them when done.
Q:Can I add authentication credentials (username and password) to the URL?
Yes — the Authentication section has dedicated Username and Password fields. When filled in, they are included in the URL in the format protocol://username:password@hostname/path. Both the username and password are percent-encoded using encodeURIComponent before insertion. Note that URL-embedded credentials appear in browser history and server logs — this form is used in some development and automation contexts but should be avoided in production.
Q:Which protocols are supported?
Five protocol options are available in the toolbar: https (the default and most common for web URLs), http (unencrypted HTTP), ftp (file transfer), ws (WebSocket), and wss (secure WebSocket). The protocol toggle is a button group — click to select. All five are valid URL schemes recognised by the browser's URL API.
Q:How do I build a URL with a path that contains dynamic segments?
Type the full path including the dynamic segments directly in the Path field. For example, enter '/users/123/posts/456' for a REST API endpoint with numeric IDs, or '/search/hello%20world' if the path segment itself needs encoding. Path segments are included in the URL as entered — unlike query parameter values, path segments are not automatically encoded, giving you full control over the path structure.
Q:Can I start from an existing URL and modify it?
The URL Builder is a construction tool rather than a parser — it builds from fields rather than importing an existing URL. To modify an existing URL, first use the URL Parser tool to break it into its components, then manually copy each component into the corresponding field in the URL Builder. This two-step workflow — parse then rebuild — gives full control over which parts to change.