URL Decoder

Introduction

The URL Decoder converts percent-encoded URLs and query parameters back into their original, human-readable form. It’s useful for developers, QA, support teams, and content authors who receive encoded links from logs, tracking systems, APIs, or other services and need to inspect or reuse the original URL and parameters.

What is this tool?

URL encoding (percent-encoding) replaces unsafe or reserved characters with %HH hex sequences (for example, %20 for a space). Form-encoded data may also use + for spaces. This tool decodes percent-encoded sequences (hex and UTF-8) and optionally converts + to spaces so you can see the original URL, path, and parameter values.

Why use this tool?

• Debugging: Inspect redirect targets, tracking parameters, or broken links reported in logs.
• Data extraction: Recover query parameter values for analytics or API troubleshooting.
• Editing & reuse: Decode links so you can edit or re-encode them properly for a new context.
• Verification: Confirm what a client or server actually receives after encoding/escaping steps.

How to use it

1. Paste the encoded URL or encoded parameter value into the input field (examples below).
2. Choose whether to treat + as a space (application/x-www-form-urlencoded) or leave it literal.
3. Click “Decode.” The tool will convert percent sequences to UTF-8 characters where applicable and display the decoded URL and decoded parameter breakdown if present.
4. If the string appears double-encoded (e.g., %2520), decode once and inspect before deciding whether to decode again.
5. Copy the decoded result for debugging, editing, or re-encoding as needed.

Example

Input (encoded):

https%3A%2F%2Fexample.com%2Fsearch%3Fq%3Dfunny%2520cats%2520%2526%2520memes

Decoded (one pass):

https://example.com/search?q=funny%20cats%20%26%20memes

Interpretation: The outer URL was encoded, and the query parameter value was percent-encoded again. Decode once to see the encoded parameter; decode the parameter value if you want the fully human-readable text (funny cats & memes).

FAQ

Do you store my input?
No — inputs are processed in real time and are not retained. If you log inputs in your deployment, disclose this in your Privacy Policy.

Can decoding introduce security risks?
Yes. Decoding content from untrusted sources can restore executable HTML, scripts, or harmful payloads. Always validate and sanitize decoded output before rendering it in a browser or executing it in an application.

What about + vs %20?
In form-encoding (application/x-www-form-urlencoded), + usually represents a space and should be converted to  . For raw URL paths, %20 is the correct encoding for space and + should be left literal unless you know it came from form data.

Why do I see %25 sequences?
%25 is the percent-encoded form of the percent sign (%) and often appears when a string has been encoded more than once. Decode once to inspect; only decode again if you recognize double-encoding and it's safe to do so.

How does UTF-8 work here?
Percent-encoded sequences represent raw bytes. The tool decodes these bytes using UTF-8 to produce correct Unicode characters for international text (e.g., %C2%A9 → ©).