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Developer Tools · Updated October 19, 2026

URL Decoder

You can decode percent-encoded URLs and components back to readable text, choose component or whole-URL mode, and treat plus signs as spaces for query strings.

Runs in your browserFree · No sign-up · No watermark
URLTXTRuns in your browser
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Everything runs locally in this tab. No file is uploaded while the tool loads.

This tool runs in your tab. Nothing is uploaded and no copy is stored.

How files are handled

At a glance

Formats
URL → TXT
Processing
In your browser
Max size
Device memory bound
Price
Free, no account
Updated
October 19, 2026
All Developer Tools

About URL Decoder

Percent-encoded URLs are unreadable by design: %20 is a space, %26 is an ampersand and a run of %C3%A9 sequences hides an accented letter. A decoder turns those escapes back into text so you can inspect a tracking link, debug a redirect or read a query string.

The tool mirrors the two URL functions: component mode decodes everything, including the reserved characters that separate a URL, while whole-URL mode leaves those separators encoded. It also explains malformed escapes instead of failing silently, and can treat plus signs as spaces for old-style form submissions.

What this tool does

The details that matter when you use URL Decoder for real work.

  • Two decoding modes

    Component mode decodes a single value completely; whole-URL mode keeps structural separators encoded so an entire URL stays readable.

  • Plus-to-space option

    Turn plus signs into spaces when decoding form-encoded data copied from a query string or request body.

  • Malformed escape detection

    A percent sign that is not followed by two hexadecimal digits is reported with its exact position instead of producing a vague browser error.

  • UTF-8-aware decoding

    Multi-byte percent sequences are decoded as UTF-8, so accents, Chinese and emoji appear correctly.

  • Copy and sample

    Copy the decoded text in one click, or load a sample URL containing encoded spaces, ampersands and accents.

How to use URL Decoder

No account, no installation — the whole job happens in this browser tab.
  1. 01

    Paste the encoded string

    Paste a full encoded URL, a query-string value or a path segment into the input box.

  2. 02

    Pick component or whole-URL mode

    Use component mode when you want a single value fully decoded, or whole-URL mode when separators should stay encoded.

  3. 03

    Enable plus-as-space if needed

    Turn on the option when the string came from application/x-www-form-urlencoded data and plus signs should become spaces.

  4. 04

    Copy the decoded result

    Press Copy to place the readable text on the clipboard for a bug report, log or spreadsheet.

Supported formats and limits

Input
URL
Output
TXT
Processing
Client-side, in your browser. Nothing is uploaded.
Maximum size
Bound by the memory available to your browser tab.
Requirements
Chrome, Edge, Firefox or Safari · JavaScript enabled

Limitations worth knowing

  • Escapes that do not represent valid UTF-8 are reported as an error rather than guessed at, so some legacy encodings cannot be decoded here.
  • The decoder cannot reverse a signature, encryption or a hash; it only expands percent escapes.
  • Plus signs are ambiguous, so the plus-as-space option has to be chosen by hand for form-encoded data.

Privacy and file handling

Decoding runs locally in your browser with the built-in URI functions. The URL and the decoded text are never sent to a server, stored or logged, and closing the page clears both.

Read the full privacy policy

URL Decoder FAQ

Short, direct answers to the questions people ask before using this tool.
Why does a decoded plus sign remain a plus sign?
In a URL path plus is a literal plus character. Only form-encoded data uses plus to mean a space, so the conversion is an explicit option rather than automatic behavior.
What causes a malformed escape error?
A percent-encoded byte must be written as a percent sign followed by two hexadecimal digits. A percent sign at the end of the string, or one followed by a space or a non-hex letter, is malformed and the decoder reports where it found it.
When should I pick whole-URL mode instead of component mode?
Choose whole-URL mode when you are reading a complete link and want it to remain a valid-looking URL. Component mode is better when you only care about the value that was encoded, such as the text after a query parameter.
Is percent-decoding the same as Base64 decoding?
No. Percent encoding replaces bytes with escapes such as %20 and is used inside URLs, while Base64 turns bytes into a different alphabet entirely. A string can contain both, and each layer has to be decoded in the right order.
Can I decode a string copied from a form submission?
Yes, but enable plus-as-space first, because form encoding turns spaces into plus signs. Without the option those plus signs stay as literal characters and the decoded text can look wrong.
Why do some characters stay encoded after whole-URL decoding?
The whole-URL function deliberately leaves escapes for reserved characters such as slashes and question marks alone, so the decoded text still reads as a URL. Switch to component mode if you need every escape expanded.
Where is my URL decoded?
In this browser tab, using the browser's built-in decoding functions. The URL is never uploaded or stored, which matters when it contains a signed token, an internal hostname or a personal query parameter.

Background reading

Format guides that explain the trade-offs behind URL Decoder.