HTML Entity Encoder & Decoder — named, hex, decimal, emoji-aware

Encode text to HTML entities or decode entities back to characters, with auto-direction. Handles named entities (&, ©), decimal/hex numeric references, and non-ASCII/emoji via code points. Bulk-capable. $0.0004 per operation. Empty input is uncharged.

What you get

• Encode: escapes & < > " ', maps common symbols to named entities, non-ASCII to numeric refs.
• Decode: resolves named, decimal (é), and hex (é) references.
• Auto: decodes if entities are present, else encodes.
• Emoji-safe: iterates by code point (surrogate pairs handled).
• Bulk: up to 200 strings per run.

Input

{ "items": [ { "input": "<a>café & co</a>", "direction": "encode" }, { "input": "&lt;b&gt;", "direction": "decode" } ] }

Output (real run, 2026-08-07)

{
  "ok": true,
  "input": "<a href=\"x\">café & co</a>",
  "direction": "encode",
  "output": "&lt;a href=&quot;x&quot;&gt;caf&#233; &amp; co&lt;/a&gt;"
}

Pricing — $0.0004 per operation

Priced at the floor. No comparable HTML-entity encoder/decoder actor was found on the Apify Store on 2026-08-07 (the "entity" search returns unrelated scrapers), so there is no competitor price to quote.

Limits (honest ones)

• Up to 200 items per run.
• Encoding maps a curated set of symbols to named entities and everything else non-ASCII to numeric references; it does not emit every possible named entity.
• Unknown named entities on decode are left untouched (lossless, never corrupted).

FAQ

• Does it handle emoji and accents? Yes — non-ASCII encodes to numeric references and decodes back exactly.
• Named or numeric entities? Encoding prefers named for common symbols, numeric otherwise; decoding accepts all three forms.
• How does auto work? If the string contains an entity reference it decodes, otherwise it encodes.
• Bulk? Yes — up to 200 strings, one charge each.

Use from code or AI agents

curl -X POST "https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/EliAI~html-entity-converter/runs?token=YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN" \
  -H 'content-type: application/json' \
  -d '{"input":"<b>café & co</b>"}'

Callable as an agent tool through the Apify MCP server (mcp.apify.com).