What is the difference between hostname and host?

hostname is the domain/IP without port (e.g. api.example.com). host includes the port if non-standard (e.g. api.example.com:8080). For standard ports (80 for HTTP, 443 for HTTPS), port is omitted from host.

Is the URL hash (#fragment) sent to the server?

No — the fragment identifier (#hash) is processed entirely by the browser. It is never sent in the HTTP request to the server. This is why React Router and Angular Router use it for client-side navigation without server requests.

What is URL encoding and when is it needed?

URL encoding (percent encoding) converts special characters into %XX hex format. Spaces become %20 or +, & becomes %26, = becomes %3D. Query parameter values must be encoded to prevent ambiguity. Use encodeURIComponent() for values, encodeURI() for full URLs.

What is the maximum URL length?

There is no official RFC limit, but practical limits exist: Chrome/Firefox support up to ~2MB, IE/Edge limit at 2048 characters, Apache server default limit is 8192 bytes. For long data, use POST body instead of URL query params.

How do I extract query params from a URL in JavaScript?

Use the URL API: const url = new URL(window.location.href); url.searchParams.get("key") — returns value or null. url.searchParams.forEach((value, key) => ...) — iterate all params. Works in all modern browsers and Node.js 10+.

What is the difference between encodeURI and encodeURIComponent?

encodeURI() encodes a full URL — preserves :, /, ?, =, & characters needed for URL structure. encodeURIComponent() encodes a URL component (single value) — encodes everything including :, /, ?, &. Always use encodeURIComponent() for query parameter values.

🔗

URL Query Params Extractor — Live Key-Value Editor

Parse · Build · Encode · Diff · Batch — 10 powerful URL tools in one, 100% browser-side

Ctrl+Enter = Parse · Ctrl+L = Clear

🔗

Try:

🔗

Paste a URL to parse

Supports HTTP · HTTPS · FTP · Mailto · Custom protocols

📂 10 Features⚡ Instant Parse🔒 100% Browser-side📋 Smart Copy

Ctrl+Enter ParseCtrl+L ClearCtrl+S Download JSONCtrl+Shift+C Copy output1 Overview2 Params3 Validate4 Encode

💡

Query parameters carry the data that makes URLs dynamic — search terms, filters, pagination, user IDs, API keys and tracking codes. This query params extractor pulls every parameter from any URL and displays them in a structured table with decoded values. Export as JSON, copy as curl arguments, or edit and regenerate the URL. Handles duplicate keys, nested params and URL arrays.

What is a URL Parser?

A URL (Uniform Resource Locator) parser breaks a web address into its individual components: protocol (scheme), username, password, hostname, port, pathname, query string (search params), and hash fragment. This tool uses the browser's native URL API for 100% accurate parsing — the same engine your browser uses — with zero server requests.

10 Features in This URL Parser

1. Live URL Breakdown — Colour-coded anatomy view showing every URL part. 2. Query Params Editor — Edit, add, delete params with live URL reconstruction. 3. URL Builder — Compose a URL from protocol, host, path, params, and hash. 4. Encode/Decode — encodeURIComponent and encodeURI with quick-load. 5. cURL Generator — One-click cURL command for any HTTP method. 6. URL Diff — Compare two URLs part-by-part, highlight differences. 7. Batch Parser — Parse up to 50 URLs at once, export as CSV. 8. URL Validator — Detect HTTPS issues, credentials, length warnings. 9. Smart Copy — Copy any individual URL part with one click. 10. History — Last 50 parsed URLs with one-click restore.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are UTM parameters and how do I extract them?

UTM (Urchin Tracking Module) parameters are query string parameters added to URLs for marketing analytics. Standard UTM params: utm_source (where traffic came from — google, newsletter), utm_medium (channel — cpc, email), utm_campaign (campaign name), utm_term (paid keyword), utm_content (ad variant). This tool automatically identifies and groups UTM parameters separately from functional parameters.

How do I extract URL parameters in JavaScript?

Best method — URLSearchParams API: const params = new URLSearchParams(window.location.search); params.get("page") // "3"; params.getAll("color") // ["black","white"]; Object.fromEntries(params) // {page:"3", color:"white"}. Note: Object.fromEntries loses duplicate keys (keeps last). For all duplicates: [...params.entries()]. In React Router: const [searchParams] = useSearchParams(); searchParams.get("id").

How do I extract query parameters in Python, PHP and Node.js?

Python: from urllib.parse import parse_qs, urlparse; parse_qs(urlparse(url).query) → dict with lists. PHP: parse_url($url, PHP_URL_QUERY) then parse_str() or $_GET superglobal. Node.js (native): new URL(url).searchParams. Express.js: req.query returns parsed object automatically (supports arrays with ?a[]=1&a[]=2 or repeated ?a=1&a=2). Python parse_qs always returns arrays even for single values; use parse_qsl for ordered pairs.

Can query parameters contain arrays and nested objects?

Standard URLs (RFC 3986) only define flat key=value pairs. But frameworks add conventions: PHP/jQuery style: ?tags[]=js&tags[]=css → array. Rack/Rails: ?user[name]=John&user[age]=30 → nested object. Express.js supports both by default. Standard URLSearchParams: use getAll(key) for repeated keys. JSON in params: ?filter={"age":{"gt":18}} (must be encoded). There is no single standard — check your backend framework's parsing behaviour.