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URL Decoder

What is URL Decoding?

URL decoding (percent-decoding) converts percent-encoded characters back to their original form. In URLs, special characters are encoded as %XX where XX is the character's hexadecimal ASCII code — for example, space becomes %20, & becomes %26, = becomes %3D, and / becomes %2F. This encoding ensures URLs can be safely transmitted over HTTP without being misinterpreted. You'll encounter percent-encoded URLs in API responses, server logs, browser address bars, and anywhere URL parameters contain special characters like spaces, quotes, or non-ASCII characters.

How to Use the URL Decode Tool

  1. Paste your URL-encoded string or full URL into the input box.

  2. Click Decode — percent-encoded sequences are converted back to readable characters.

  3. Copy the decoded URL or text for use in your application.

This URL decoder runs entirely in your browser — no data is sent to any server. Handles both URL encoding (%20) and form encoding (+ for spaces). Supports full URLs and individual query parameter values. Useful for reading encoded URLs from logs, API responses, and browser address bars.

Need to encode URLs? Try our URL Encoder →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between %20 and + for spaces? %20 is the standard URL encoding for a space in all URL components. The + symbol is used for spaces only in query strings in application/x-www-form-urlencoded encoding (HTML form submissions). When decoding, the context matters: + in a query string is a space; + in a path segment is a literal plus character.

What characters must be percent-encoded in URLs? Characters that have special meaning in URLs must be encoded when used as data: space ( ), !, #, $, &, ', (, ), *, +, ,, /, :, ;, =, ?, @, [, ]. Characters that are always safe in URLs (no encoding needed): letters A–Z, a–z, digits 0–9, and - . _ ~.

How do I decode a URL in JavaScript? Use decodeURIComponent(str) to decode a single URL component (query parameter value or path segment). Use decodeURI(str) to decode a full URL while preserving the URL's structural characters (/, ?, &, =). Never use escape/unescape — they're deprecated and handle encoding differently.

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