URL Decoder
Decode percent-encoded URLs back to readable text
Input Information
Result
URL Decoder converts percent-encoded (%XX) characters back to their original form. This is useful for reading encoded URLs, debugging web requests, and inspecting query parameters.
The decoder handles all percent-encoded characters including spaces (%20), special characters (%21, %23, etc.), and non-ASCII characters (%E2%82%AC for Euro symbol).
Term Glossary
- URL Decoding
- The process of converting a percent-encoded (%XX) string back to its original characters. Used when reading web requests or query parameters.
- Percent Encoding (%XX)
- A scheme that represents characters as % followed by a two-digit hexadecimal ASCII code. For example, a space is %20 and & is %26.
- 1
Paste the encoded URL
Paste the %XX-format string copied from the address bar or a network log into the input.
- 2
Click decode
Clicking the button converts each %XX sequence back to its original character.
- 3
Review the decoded output
Check that spaces, special characters, and non-ASCII text were restored correctly.
- 4
Copy the result
Use the copy button to save the decoded text to your clipboard if needed.
Example 1 — Space
%20 → (space)
In 'https://example.com/search?q=hello%20world', %20 is a space. Decoding it yields 'hello world'. Spaces appear as %20 in search queries and file names.
Example 2 — Euro symbol
%E2%82%AC → €
The non-ASCII € character is encoded as 3 bytes in UTF-8, each represented as %E2%82%AC. Decoding restores the original euro symbol.
Example 3 — Slash
%2F → /
The '/' used as a path separator is encoded as %2F by encodeURIComponent. A slash inside a parameter is usually kept as %2F to distinguish it from path separators.
Decoding Examples:
%20 → Space
%21 → !
%23 → #
%26 → &
%2B → +
The % symbol followed by two hexadecimal digits is converted back to the corresponding ASCII character.
Tips:
- Most browsers show decoded URLs in the address bar but encode them in network requests.
- If decoding produces garbled text, the original encoding might have used a different charset.
- URL encoding is case-sensitive: %2f is different from %2F.
- The + character in form-encoded data represents a space, but in URLs it stays as +.
QWhen should I use URL decoding?
Use it to read encoded URLs in the browser address bar, interpret query parameters in server logs or network requests, or inspect links generated by other tools. For example, it reveals that %20 in a search URL is actually a space.
QWhy is the decoded text garbled?
Usually because the original text used a different charset (e.g., EUC-KR, ISO-8859-1) rather than UTF-8. The %XX codes reference bytes that are interpreted as different characters, producing garbled output. Check what charset the source site used.
QWhat is the difference between + and %20?
In application/x-www-form-urlencoded (HTML forms), + represents a space. But in URL paths and regular query strings, a space is encoded as %20. So the same string may decode differently depending on whether it used form or URL encoding.
QWhat is the difference between decode and decodeURIComponent?
decodeURIComponent decodes every percent-encoded sequence, including %26 and %3F. decodeURI preserves sequences that map to URL structure characters like /, ?, and #. This tool decodes everything because it does not need to preserve URL structure.
QHow do I fix garbled or wrong output?
First confirm the input is valid percent encoding and check the charset (usually UTF-8) used when encoding. Correct input in UTF-8 yields correct output. Some sites use double-encoding (e.g., %2520), which may require decoding twice.