Escape Smart Characters
Escape Smart Characters is a free online Encoding Tools tool that converts smart (typographic) Unicode characters — e.g. smart quotes, em/en dashes, ellipses, ©, ®, ™, arrows — into their plain ASCII equivalents. Characters with no ASCII mapping (e.g. ☣ ) are handled according to the 'Unmappable character instantly in your browser. Paste your data, adjust the options and get the result in real time — no installation, no sign-up, and nothing is ever uploaded to a server.
How to use: Escape Smart Characters →
Description
Converts smart (typographic) Unicode characters — e.g. smart quotes, em/en dashes, ellipses, ©, ®, ™, arrows — into their plain ASCII equivalents. Characters with no ASCII mapping (e.g. ☣ ) are handled according to the 'Unmappable character
- This tool runs the official CyberChef engine on the 26173 server. Avoid pasting secrets you would not send to any server.
How to use
Using Escape Smart Characters takes three steps:
- Paste your data into the input box (or load the example).
- Configure the options to match your target format or scenario.
- Copy, download or inspect the output — it updates live as you type.
Use cases
Common situations where Escape Smart Characters helps:
- Converts smart (typographic) Unicode characters — e.g. smart quotes, em/en dashes, ellipses, ©, ®, ™, arrows — into their plain ASCII equivalents. Characters with no ASCII mapping (e.g. ☣ ) are handled according to the 'Unmappable character
- This tool runs the official CyberChef engine on the 26173 server. Avoid pasting secrets you would not send to any server.
FAQ
What is Escape Smart Characters?
Escape Smart Characters converts smart (typographic) Unicode characters — e.g. smart quotes, em/en dashes, ellipses, ©, ®, ™, arrows — into their plain ASCII equivalents. Characters with no ASCII mapping (e.g. ☣ ) are handled according to the 'Unmappable character. It runs entirely in your browser, so your data stays private.
Is Escape Smart Characters free to use?
Yes. Escape Smart Characters is free, unlimited and works without registration or installation.
Does my data get uploaded?
Is my data uploaded for this tool? — This tool is processed on our server by design; input is used only for the computation and is not stored.