Unicode Escape Encode & Decode

What are Unicode Escape Sequences?

Unicode escape sequences are a way to represent Unicode characters using only ASCII characters. They allow you to include any Unicode character in text that might otherwise be difficult to type, display, or transmit. This is particularly useful in programming, JSON data, and situations where you need to ensure text compatibility across different systems.

For example, the character "é" can be represented as a Unicode escape sequence, and emojis can also be encoded this way.

How It Works

Encoding: Each character in your text is converted to its Unicode code point and formatted as a 4-digit hexadecimal number preceded by the escape prefix.

Decoding: Unicode escape sequences in your text are converted back to their corresponding characters.

  • Uses hexadecimal representation of Unicode code points
  • Case-insensitive for hex digits (A-F or a-f)
  • Requires exactly 4 hex digits per escape sequence
  • Commonly used in JavaScript, JSON, Java, C#, and other languages

Use Cases

Unicode escape sequences are useful in many scenarios:

  • Programming: Include special characters in source code strings
  • JSON Data: Safely represent international characters in JSON
  • Configuration Files: Store Unicode text in ASCII-only config files
  • Data Exchange: Transmit Unicode safely across different systems
  • Legacy Systems: Work with systems that have limited character support
  • Web Development: Handle internationalization in web applications

Examples

Text Examples:

• "Hello" → encoded format

• "café" → encoded with accented character

• "中文" → encoded Chinese characters

• "αβγ" → encoded Greek letters

How to Use This Tool

  1. Select "Encode" to convert text to Unicode escape sequences, or "Decode" to convert escapes back to text
  2. Enter your text or Unicode escape sequences in the input field
  3. The result appears automatically in the output field
  4. Use the swap button to switch input and output
  5. Click the copy icon to copy the result to clipboard
  6. Use the clear button to reset both fields

Note: This tool handles standard 4-digit Unicode escape sequences. All processing happens locally in your browser for privacy and speed.