What are HTML entities?

HTML entities are special codes used to display reserved characters in HTML. For example, < is represented as < and & is represented as &. Without encoding, these characters would be interpreted as HTML tags or syntax.

Why should I encode HTML entities?

Encoding HTML entities prevents XSS (Cross-Site Scripting) attacks and ensures that special characters display correctly in web pages. It is essential when displaying user-generated content in HTML.

What characters need to be encoded?

The most important characters to encode are: & (ampersand), (greater than), " (double quote), and ' (single quote). These characters have special meaning in HTML and can break page rendering or create security vulnerabilities.

Is this tool safe for preventing XSS?

This tool encodes the standard HTML special characters (&, , ", ', /) which covers the most common XSS vectors. However, for production applications, always use a well-tested server-side sanitization library.