URL Decoder Online - Free Percent Decoding Tool

Decode percent-encoded URLs. Fast, secure, and completely free. All processing happens in your browser — no data is sent to any server.

What is a URL Decoder?

A URL Decoder reverses percent-encoding, converting sequences like %20 or %26 back into their original characters (a space, an ampersand) so you can read a URL or query string the way it was originally intended, rather than as the encoded form a browser or server would transmit. It's the necessary counterpart to a URL encoder: whenever you're inspecting a redirect URL, a tracking link, or a query parameter copied from a browser's address bar, decoding it first reveals what's actually being passed.

How to Use URL Decoder

1. Paste a percent-encoded URL or query string into the input field
2. The decoded, human-readable result appears instantly
3. Check nested encoding — a doubly-encoded value will need decoding twice to fully resolve
4. Copy the decoded text to inspect or reuse the underlying value
5. Use the URL Encoder to re-encode a value after editing it

Key Features

• Decodes percent-encoded sequences back to their original characters
• Handles both encodeURIComponent-style and full-URI encoded input
• Detects and helps identify double-encoded strings
• Full UTF-8 support for decoding non-ASCII characters correctly
• Instant, real-time decoding as you type or paste

Why Use URL Decoder?

Query strings, redirect parameters, and tracking links are routinely percent-encoded, which makes them nearly unreadable at a glance — a redirect target buried in ?next=%2Fdashboard%3Ftab%3Dbilling is much easier to reason about once decoded. Decoding is also essential for debugging: when a query parameter isn't matching what you expect on the server side, seeing the actual decoded value (rather than the encoded one sitting in your browser's address bar) is often the fastest way to spot a mismatch or an unexpected double-encoding bug.

Common Use Cases

• Reading the real destination of a redirect or tracking link before clicking it
• Debugging a query parameter that isn't matching the expected value on the server
• Decoding a URL copied from browser history or a log file to inspect it
• Identifying accidental double-encoding in a query string
• Reading an encoded value shared in a bug report or support ticket

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my decoded string still contain % characters?

That usually means the original value was double-encoded — decode it a second time to fully resolve it back to plain text.

Does a plus sign (+) decode to a space?

In application/x-www-form-urlencoded content (like form submissions), + traditionally represents a space; in a standard URL path or query component encoded with encodeURIComponent, a space is represented as %20 instead. Context determines which convention applies.

Is it safe to paste a URL containing sensitive tokens to decode it?

Decoding happens entirely in your browser with no server round-trip, so the content never leaves your machine — but always be cautious about where you paste sensitive tokens in general.

Can I decode just part of a URL, like only the query string?

Yes, you can paste any fragment — a full URL, just the query string, or a single encoded value — and only the recognized percent-encoded sequences will be decoded.

Why does decoding sometimes reveal unexpected characters like emoji?

Multi-byte UTF-8 sequences are represented as multiple %XX groups in a percent-encoded URL; decoding correctly reassembles them back into the original character, including emoji or non-Latin scripts.

Guides

• URL Encoding and Decoding: A Complete Developer Guide

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