URL Decoder Online

URL encoding converts special characters into percent-encoded sequences — a space becomes %20, an ampersand becomes %26, and so on. When you're reading a URL from a log, an API response, or a form submission, these encoded strings can be hard to parse at a glance. This tool decodes them back to readable text.

How it works

The decoder runs your input through JavaScript's built-in decodeURIComponent() function, which reverses percent-encoding. It handles both standard ASCII percent-codes and multi-byte sequences for non-English characters. Processing is entirely client-side.

How to use it

1. Paste your encoded URL or query string into the input field
2. The decoded output appears instantly
3. Click copy to grab the readable result

Example

https://example.com/search?q=hello%20world&lang=en%2FUS

Decodes to:

https://example.com/search?q=hello world&lang=en/US

A few things worth knowing

• Full URL vs query string: You can paste the whole URL or just the encoded query string parameter value — the tool handles both
• Double encoding: If a URL was encoded twice (e.g. %2520 instead of %20), one pass of decoding gives %20, not a space. Run it through a second time to fully decode
• Malformed sequences: If a percent code is invalid (e.g. %GG), the decoder will flag it or leave it as-is

FAQ

What is the difference between decodeURI and decodeURIComponent? decodeURI preserves characters that are structural to a full URL (like ?, &, #, /). decodeURIComponent decodes everything including those characters. This tool uses decodeURIComponent, which is appropriate for decoding individual parameter values.

Why do spaces become %20 instead of +? Both are valid in different contexts. %20 is the standard percent-encoding. + for spaces is specific to HTML form submissions (application/x-www-form-urlencoded). This tool decodes %20 → space; if you have + for spaces, they'll need to be handled separately.

Related Tools

• URL Encoder
• Base64 Encoder / Decoder