dev-tool-x

URL Decode

Input

Decode URL-encoded text.

Output

About URL Decode
URL Decode applies percent-encoding to characters that cannot appear literally in a URL, or reverses that encoding to recover the original string. URLs are restricted to a small set of safe ASCII characters; everything else — spaces, ampersands, non-ASCII text — must be encoded. Use it when constructing query parameters programmatically, debugging a redirect URL that arrived percent-encoded, or preparing a string to be passed as a URL component in an API client or fetch call.
Common uses
  • Encode query parameter values before constructing URLs to prevent broken links and request errors.
  • Decode percent-encoded strings from logs, referrer headers, and redirect URLs to read their original content.
  • Verify that special characters in a URL are correctly encoded before testing an endpoint.
  • Prepare URL-safe values for use in API clients, fetch calls, and HTTP library configurations.
Related tools
URL EncodeEncode text for URLs.JSON to XMLConvert JSON objects into XML.JSON to CSVConvert a JSON array of objects into CSV.JSON to YAMLConvert JSON into YAML.
FAQ
What is percent-encoding?
Percent-encoding (also called URL encoding) replaces each character that cannot appear literally in a URL with a percent sign followed by two hexadecimal digits representing the character's UTF-8 byte value. For example, a space becomes %20 and an ampersand becomes %26.
When should I encode a URL vs a URL component?
Encode a full URL with encodeURI() — it leaves structural characters like /, ?, and & untouched. Encode individual parameter values with encodeURIComponent() — it encodes those structural characters too, which is correct for values that should be treated as data rather than URL structure.
Why does a space sometimes appear as + instead of %20?
The + shorthand for spaces comes from the HTML form specification: browsers encode spaces as + in form submission query strings. Most web servers decode both forms correctly, but + is technically only valid in query strings, not in URL paths. Use %20 when precision matters.
Is URL Decode free to use?
Yes — URL Decode is completely free and requires no sign-up or account. There are no usage limits for standard decoder tasks.
Does URL Decode send my data to a server?
No. URL Decode runs entirely in your browser using JavaScript. Text you paste and files you upload never leave your machine, so it is safe to use with sensitive payloads, API tokens, and internal configuration data.