URL Decoder

Paste an encoded URL or text and press Decode URL. Every %XX code is turned back into its character, and the query parameters are listed one by one.

Try an example

About this URL decoder

Links in emails, analytics reports, server logs, and redirects are often full of codes like %20, %3A, and %E2%80%94 that make them hard to read. This decoder turns each code back into its character, reading multi-byte codes as UTF-8 so accented letters, Chinese characters, and emoji come out right. It can treat + as a space the way HTML forms send it, decode text that was encoded twice, and leave a broken code in place instead of failing. When the result is a URL or a query string, its parameters are listed in a table.

How to decode a URL

  1. Paste the encoded text. Paste a URL, a query string, or any percent-encoded text, or press an example. An example only fills the box.
  2. Choose how to read +. Keep "Decode + as a space" for form data and query strings. Turn on "Keep decoding" for links that were encoded twice.
  3. Press Decode URL. The readable text appears below, with each query parameter in its own row.
  4. Copy the result. Press Copy decoded text or Download.

Frequently asked questions

Why does + turn into a space?

HTML forms send spaces in the query string as +. If your text uses + as a real plus sign, as in a phone number or a Base64 value, choose "Keep + as a plus sign". A real plus sign that was encoded as %2B always decodes to +.

What is double encoding?

When encoded text is encoded again, each % becomes %25, so %3A turns into %253A. This is common in redirect links. "Keep decoding" repeats the decoding until no codes are left.

What happens to a broken % code?

A % that is not followed by two hex digits, or bytes that are not valid UTF-8, are left exactly as they were, and the count appears under Broken % codes. The rest of the text is still decoded.

Is the decoded URL safe to open?

Decoding only makes the text readable; it does not check where the link leads. Read the domain before you open a decoded link, especially one from an unexpected email.

How do I encode text again?

Paste the decoded text into the URL Encoder and choose URL component mode for a single value or Path mode for a path.