URL Decoder
Paste a percent-encoded URL or query string and get the decoded, human-readable version. Handles malformed sequences gracefully.
Tip: Press Ctrl+Enter to decode.
What is URL decoding?
URL decoding reverses percent-encoding, converting sequences like %20 back to a space, %3D back to =, and %26 back to &.
When do you need to decode URLs?
- Reading server logs — log files often contain percent-encoded request paths and query strings.
- Debugging redirects — authentication flows and OAuth callbacks frequently embed percent-encoded URLs inside other URLs.
- Parsing query parameters — extract the original values from a copied URL before processing them in code.
Malformed sequences
If the input contains an invalid percent-sequence (like %GG), this tool attempts a best-effort decode and leaves the invalid sequence as-is, rather than failing completely.
Common URL Percent-Encoded Characters Table
Standard percent-encoded sequences frequently encountered in web addresses and their original decoded characters:
| Encoded Sequence | Decoded Character | Standard Name |
|---|---|---|
%20 (or +) | Space | Blank space |
%21 | ! | Exclamation mark |
%23 | # | Number sign / Hash |
%24 | $ | Dollar sign |
%25 | % | Percent sign |
%26 | & | Ampersand |
%2B | + | Plus sign |
%2F | / | Forward slash |
%3A | : | Colon |
%3D | = | Equals sign |
%3F | ? | Question mark |
%40 | @ | At sign |
Frequently Asked Questions
How does URL decoding work?
URL decoding searches for percent triplets (like '%20' or '%3F') and translates each pair of hexadecimal numbers back into its corresponding UTF-8 character byte.
What happens if a percent-encoded sequence is malformed?
If an incomplete sequence like '%G1' or a lone '%' appears, the decoder reports a helpful syntax error rather than crashing or returning corrupt data.
Does this tool decode '+' as a space?
Yes, standard query string forms frequently encode spaces as '+'. The decoder correctly interprets both '%20' and '+' as spaces.
Is my URL sent to any server?
No. All decoding operations execute exclusively client-side in your browser. Any authentication tokens or secret query params remain private.