URL Decoder Online
Decode percent-encoded URLs back to plain text instantly with our free online URL decoder. Paste your encoded URL or query string and see the decoded result immediately — all in your browser, with no data leaving your device.
What is URL Decoding?
URL decoding converts percent-encoded characters back to their original form. When a URL is encoded, special characters like spaces and symbols are replaced with a %followed by their two-digit hexadecimal ASCII code. URL decoding reverses this process:
%20→space%26→&%3D→=%2F→/
When to Use URL Decoding
- Debugging API requests: Read encoded query parameters from server logs
- Reading redirects: Decode the destination URL embedded in a redirect parameter
- Parsing query strings: Extract human-readable values from URL parameters
- OAuth flows: Decode encoded tokens and callback URLs
- Email links: Decode tracking URLs to see where they lead
Common Encoded Characters
%20= space%21= !%23= #%24= $%26= &%27= '%2B= +%2F= /%3A= :%3D= =%3F= ?%40= @
Frequently Asked Questions
What does URL decoding do?
URL decoding converts percent-encoded characters back to their original form. For example, %20 becomes a space, %26 becomes &, and %3D becomes =. It reverses the URL encoding process, making encoded URLs human-readable again.
Why are URLs percent-encoded?
URLs can only contain a limited set of characters. Special characters (spaces, &, =, ?, #, etc.) must be encoded so they don't break the URL structure. Percent-encoding replaces these characters with their hexadecimal ASCII representation prefixed with %.
Is this URL decoder safe to use?
Yes. All decoding happens locally in your browser. Your data is never transmitted to any server, stored, or logged.
What does %20 mean in a URL?
%20 is the percent-encoded representation of a space character. In URLs, spaces are not allowed directly, so they are encoded as either %20 or + (in form data). Our tool decodes both formats.
Can I URL encode text too?
Yes — use our companion URL Encoder tool to convert plain text into percent-encoded format.
Need to encode text into a URL-safe format? Use our URL Encoder.