URL decoder
Turn a percent-encoded string like search%3Ftitle%3DHello%2520World back into readable text — the decoding half of URL encode/decode, on its own page for when you already have an encoded URL or query string in hand and just need to read what it actually says.
- Nothing you type leaves this page
- Works offline once loaded
- Free forever, no signup
Preparing URL Decoder for you…
Loading the tool into your browser. Nothing is uploaded — the work happens on your device.
{{ paramError }}
| Parameter | Decoded value |
|---|---|
| {{ row.key }} | {{ row.value }} |
How to use this tool
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Paste the encoded text or URL
Anything with %-sequences in it.
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Read the decoded result
It updates instantly, with malformed encoding reported by exact position rather than a generic error.
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Inspect a full query string if needed
Paste one below to see every parameter broken into its own readable row.
Questions people ask
What does %20 mean in a URL?
An encoded space. Other common ones: %2F is /, %3F is ?, %26 is &, and %3D is = — this decoder translates any percent sequence back to its original character instantly.
Why does decoding fail with a "malformed" error?
Usually because a literal % sign in the original text was never itself encoded to %25 before being pasted here — decodeURIComponent throws whenever a % is not followed by exactly two valid hex digits, and this tool points at the exact position of the stray character.
How do I read every parameter in a long query string at once?
Paste the full query string (with or without the leading ?) into the parameter table below the main decoder — each key and its decoded value shows on its own row, which is far easier to scan than a single long encoded line.
Does this handle a + sign as a space?
Yes, in the parameter table specifically — inside a query string, a literal + is conventionally treated as an encoded space alongside %20, and this decoder handles both correctly.
Is anything I paste here sent to a server?
No. The whole tool is JavaScript running in your browser, and this site has no endpoint that accepts text. That matters when what you are pasting is a real API payload, a customer record, or a password.
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