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ENCODEURL Function

Excel 2013+, Excel for Windows

Summary

The Excel ENCODEURL function converts a text string into a properly formatted URL-encoded string by replacing special characters with percent-encoded hexadecimal equivalents. This ensures URLs are safe for web transmission and API calls.

Syntax

ENCODEURL(text)

Parameters

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
text	`String`	Yes	Required text string containing characters that need URL encoding for safe web transmission

Using the ENCODEURL Function

ENCODEURL is crucial when building dynamic URLs for web services, APIs, or hyperlinks containing user input, spaces, or special characters. It transforms problematic characters into safe percent-encoded format.

Common ENCODEURL Examples

Basic URL Encoding

=ENCODEURL("http://contoso.sharepoint.com/Finance/Profit and Loss Statement.xlsx")

Converts spaces to %20 and slashes to %2F: http%3A%2F%2Fcontoso.sharepoint.com%2FFinance%2FProfit%20and%20Loss%20Statement.xlsx

Stock Quote API Call

=WEBSERVICE("http://dev.markitondemand.com/MODApis/Api/Quote/xml?symbol="&ENCODEURL(C2))

Safely encodes stock ticker from cell C2 for API request

Extract Stock Price

=FILTERXML(WEBSERVICE("http://dev.markitondemand.com/MODApis/Api/Quote/xml?symbol="&ENCODEURL(C2)),"//QuoteApiModel/Data/LastPrice")

Combines ENCODEURL with WEBSERVICE and FILTERXML to get real-time stock price

Frequently Asked Questions

ENCODEURL percent-encodes non-alphanumeric characters like spaces (%20), colons (%3A), slashes (%2F), and other reserved URL characters.

No, ENCODEURL requires Windows and is unavailable in Excel for Mac or Excel for the web.

Common Errors and Solutions

#NAME? error

Cause: ENCODEURL not available in Excel for Mac or Web

Solution: Use Windows version of Excel or substitute with SUBSTITUTE functions

Unexpected encoding results

Cause: Input already contains percent-encoded characters

Solution: Ensure input text is in plain format before encoding

Notes

Alphanumeric characters (A-Z, a-z, 0-9) remain unchanged
Only non-safe URL characters get percent-encoded
Ideal companion for WEBSERVICE function
May appear in Mac function gallery but won't work there

Compatibility

Available in: Excel 2013, Excel 2016, Excel 2019, Excel 2021, Excel for Windows, Microsoft 365 (Windows)

Not available in: Excel for Mac, Excel for the web, Excel 2010 and earlier

Content last reviewed: December 9, 2025
Update frequency: As needed
Excel versions tested: Excel 2013+, Excel for Windows