Free URL Decoder & Encoder Online
Decode percent-encoded URLs back to plain readable text — instantly, using decodeURIComponent() in your browser.
How it works
Paste encoded URL
Paste the percent-encoded string or full URL you want to decode.
Decode
Click Decode or press Ctrl+Enter. %XX sequences are converted back to their characters.
Read the result
See the decoded, human-readable URL or string in the output panel.
All in the browser
Decoding uses decodeURIComponent() — a native browser function. Nothing is uploaded.
Common use cases
Reading encoded query strings
API logs and server access logs often show percent-encoded query parameters. Decode them to read the original values.
OAuth and redirect debugging
OAuth redirect_uri parameters are deeply encoded. Decode the full URL to trace the auth flow and find misconfigured redirect URIs.
Email link inspection
Links in marketing emails often use tracking URLs with multiple layers of encoding. Decode to see the actual destination.
Form data debugging
Decode application/x-www-form-urlencoded POST bodies to read the submitted field values as captured in server logs.
Frequently asked questions
What is URL decoding?
URL decoding is the reverse of percent-encoding: it converts %XX sequences back to their original characters. For example, %20 → space, %2F → /, %40 → @.
What is the difference between decodeURI and decodeURIComponent?
decodeURI decodes a full URL but leaves structural characters (:, /, ?, =, &, #) encoded. decodeURIComponent decodes everything including those characters — use it for individual parameter values.
What if I get "URIError: malformed URI"?
The input contains an invalid percent-encoding sequence (e.g., a % not followed by two hex digits). Check for incomplete sequences or % characters that should be encoded as %25.
Can I decode a full URL?
Yes — paste the full URL and it will decode all percent-encoded sequences. Note that decodeURIComponent will also decode :// and / which may change the URL structure.
Does this handle Unicode?
Yes. UTF-8 encoded Unicode characters (like %C2%A9 for ©) are decoded back to their original Unicode characters.