URL Decoder

URL Decoder

Convert Percent-Encoded URLs Back to Readable Text - URL Decoding Tool

What is the URL Decoder Tool?

The URL Decoder is a free online utility that converts percent-encoded (URL-encoded) text back into its original, human-readable format. This tool reverses the URL encoding process by transforming percent-encoded characters like %20, %26, and %3D back to their original symbols—spaces, ampersands, and equals signs.developer.mozilla+4​

Whether you're a web developer debugging query strings, a data analyst processing web analytics, an API developer examining encoded parameters, or anyone needing to read encoded URLs, the CyberTools URL Decoder provides instant, accurate conversion from percent-encoded format to plain text.urldecoder​

How to Use the URL Decoder

Using our URL decoding tool is straightforward:urldecoder​

Step 1: Enter Encoded URL or Text

Paste or type the percent-encoded text:urldecoder​

• Complete URLs with encoded characters
• Query strings like ?name=John%20Doe&email=user%40example.com
• Encoded path segments /path%2Fto%2Fresource
• Form data with + signs for spacesw3schools+1​
• Any text containing %XX encoded charactersurl-encode-decode​
• Mixed encoded and plain text

Step 2: Select Decoding Options

Choose your decoding preferences:

Standard URL Decode (decodeURIComponent):snyk​

• Decodes all percent-encoded characterssnyk​
• Converts %20 and + to spacesdeveloper.mozilla+1​
• Handles all encoded special charactersurl-encode-decode​
• Most common use case

Full URL Decode (decodeURI):

• Preserves URL structure characters
• Decodes only encoded data portions
• Use for complete URL strings

Custom Decode:

• Selective character decoding
• Handle malformed encodings gracefully
• Application-specific rules

Step 3: Click "Decode"

Press the decode button to convert:

• Instant conversion - Results appear immediately
• Real-time processing - Live updates as you type
• No server upload - Processes in your browser
• Copy-friendly output - One-click copying

Step 4: Use Decoded Text

Copy the readable text for:

• Reading query parameters
• Debugging URL issues
• Data analysis and reporting
• API testing and documentation
• Log file analysis
• Search query inspection

What is URL Decoding?

URL decoding (also called percent decoding) is the process of converting percent-encoded characters back into their original form. This reverses URL encoding, restoring encoded URLs to human-readable text.wikipedia+2​

How URL Decoding Worksdeveloper.mozilla+1​

The decoding mechanism:url-encode-decode+1​

1. Identify percent sequences - Find patterns like %XXdeveloper.mozilla+1​
2. Convert hexadecimal to decimal - Parse the two hex digitsurl-encode-decode​
3. Get ASCII/Unicode character - Map to corresponding character
4. Replace in string - Substitute encoded with decodedsnyk​

Example decoding process:developer.mozilla​

text
Encoded: %20
Hexadecimal: 20
Decimal: 32
Character: " " (space)

Special cases:w3schools+1​

• + sign decodes to space in form data contextw3schools+1​
• %20 always decodes to spacew3schools+1​
• %25 decodes to % (percent itself)urldecoder​

Percent Encoding Structurewikipedia+2​

Percent-encoded format:wikipedia+1​

• Starts with % characterurl-encode-decode+1​
• Followed by two hexadecimal digitswikipedia+2​
• Represents single byte valueurl-encode-decode​
• Example: %3D = equals sign =

URL encoding is officially called percent-encoding, named after the percent sign used as the escape character.wikipedia+1​

Why Use URL Decoding?

1. Read and Analyze URLsurldecoder​

Convert encoded URLs to readable format:

URLs from web analytics, logs, and monitoring tools are often encoded:urldecoder​

• Query parameters in tracking URLs
• Search queries from analytics platforms
• Referrer URLs in server logs
• API endpoint parameters
• Form submission dataurldecoder​

Example:

text
Encoded: search?q=best+restaurants+in+New+York&category=italian
Decoded: search?q=best restaurants in New York&category=italian

Result: Human-readable search intent

2. Debug Web Applications

Troubleshoot URL-related issues:

When debugging web applications:

• Examine query string parameters
• Verify correct data transmission
• Test API request URLs
• Inspect form submissions
• Validate URL generation
• Check routing parameters

Example debugging scenario:

text
Error in URL: /api/user/john%40example.com/profile
Decoded shows: /api/user/john@example.com/profile
Issue identified: @ symbol properly encoded

3. Data Analysis and Reporting

Process web analytics data:

Analytics and tracking data often contains encoded information:

• UTM campaign parameters
• Search keywords and queries
• Custom dimension values
• Event tracking data
• Conversion funnel URLs
• A/B test variations

Use case: Export Google Analytics data and decode search terms for readability.

4. API Testing and Developmentsnyk​

Work with API responses and requests:snyk​

APIs frequently return or expect encoded URLs:

• Parse encoded API responsessnyk​
• Examine webhook payloads
• Test endpoint parameters
• Debug OAuth callbacks
• Validate redirect URLs
• Inspect error messages

5. Log File Analysis

Extract information from server logs:

Web server access logs contain encoded URLs:

• Apache/Nginx access logs
• Application error logs
• Security audit logs
• CDN access logs
• Load balancer logs
• Proxy server logs

Example log entry:

text
GET /search?q=javascript%20%26%20typescript&page=1 200

6. Extract Search Queries

Understand user search behavior:

Search engines and site search use encoded queries:

• Google search URLs (q= parameter)
• Bing search queries
• Internal site search
• E-commerce product searches
• Documentation searches
• Forum search queries

7. Email Link Processing

Handle URLs from email clients:

Email clients often encode URLs differently:

• Marketing campaign links
• Transactional email URLs
• Newsletter tracking links
• Password reset links
• Verification URLs
• Unsubscribe links

Common Decoding Examplesw3schools+1​

Basic Query String Decoding

Encoded:

text
https://example.com/search?q=javascript%20tutorial&category=web%20development

Decoded:

text
https://example.com/search?q=javascript tutorial&category=web development

Result: Spaces (%20) converted back to readable formatdeveloper.mozilla​

Special Charactersurldecoder​

Encoded:

text
/contact?email=user%40example.com&message=Hello%20%26%20welcome%21

Decoded:

text
/contact?email=user@example.com&message=Hello & welcome!

Result: %40 → @, %26 → &, %21 → !urldecoder​

Form Data with Plus Signsw3schools+1​

Encoded:

text
name=John+Doe&city=New+York&query=best+pizza

Decoded:

text
name=John Doe&city=New York&query=best pizza

Result: Plus signs convert to spaces in form contextdeveloper.mozilla+1​

Complex Search Query

Encoded:

text
/search?q=%22machine%20learning%22%20%282024%20OR%202025%29%20-outdated

Decoded:

text
/search?q="machine learning" (2024 OR 2025) -outdated

Result: Quotes, parentheses, and spaces all decoded

International Charactersbunny​

Encoded:

text
/search?q=zajec%20in%20je%C5%BE

Decoded:

text
/search?q=zajec in jež

Result: UTF-8 encoded characters restored to original formbunny​

Path Parameters

Encoded:

text
/api/users/john%40example.com/posts/hello%20world

Decoded:

text
/api/users/john@example.com/posts/hello world

Result: Path segments decoded for readability

URL Encoding Character Referencew3schools+1​

Common Encoded Charactersw3schools​

EncodedDecodedDescription%20 or + | (space) | Space character developer.mozilla+1​
%21 | ! | Exclamation mark
%22 | " | Quotation mark
%23 | # | Hash/pound sign bunny​
%24 | $ | Dollar sign
%25 | % | Percent sign urldecoder​
%26 | & | Ampersand
%27 | ' | Apostrophe
%28 | ( | Left parenthesis
%29 | ) | Right parenthesis
%2B | + | Plus sign
%2C | , | Comma
%2F | / | Forward slash
%3A | : | Colon
%3B | ; | Semicolon
%3C | < | Less-than
%3D | = | Equals sign
%3E | > | Greater-than
%3F | ? | Question mark
%40 | @ | At symbol
%5B | [ | Left bracket
%5D | ] | Right bracket
%7B | { | Left brace
%7D | } | Right brace
%7C | | | Pipe/vertical bar

URL-Safe Characters (Never Encoded)urldecoder​

Unreserved characters that don't need encoding:urldecoder​

• Letters: A-Z, a-z
• Numbers: 0-9
• Hyphen: -
• Underscore: _
• Period: .
• Tilde: ~

These appear unchanged in encoded URLs.urldecoder​

Common Use Cases

Web Developers

Development workflows:

• Debugging query string parameters
• Testing URL routing logic
• Validating form submissions
• Inspecting API requests
• Reading encoded cookies
• Analyzing redirect URLs

Data Analysts

Analytics and reporting:

• Processing Google Analytics exports
• Analyzing search query data
• Examining campaign performance
• Reading UTM parameters
• Extracting user behavior patterns
• Cleaning web traffic data

API Developerssnyk​

API integration work:snyk​

• Parsing encoded API responsessnyk​
• Debugging webhook payloads
• Testing endpoint parameters
• Validating OAuth flows
• Reading error messages
• Documenting API examplessnyk​

Security Professionals

Security analysis:

• Examining suspicious URLs
• Analyzing phishing attempts
• Investigating injection attacks
• Reading security logs
• Forensic URL analysis
• Malware URL investigation

System Administrators

Server management:

• Analyzing web server logs
• Debugging proxy configurations
• Reading load balancer logs
• Inspecting CDN requests
• Troubleshooting redirects
• Monitoring traffic patterns

SEO Specialists

Search optimization:

• Analyzing search console data
• Reading crawler logs
• Examining backlink URLs
• Processing referrer data
• Tracking keyword rankings
• Audit tracking parameters

Features of CyberTools URL Decoder

✅ Complete Decoding Support

• Percent-encoded characters - All %XX formatsurl-encode-decode+1​
• Plus signs to spaces - Form data supportdeveloper.mozilla+1​
• UTF-8 characters - International textbunny​
• Mixed encoding - Handles partial encoding
• Malformed URLs - Graceful error handling

⚡ Instant Processing

• Real-time conversion - Immediate results
• Live preview - See decoding as you type
• No server upload - Client-side processing
• Lightning-fast - Sub-second decoding
• Unlimited use - No rate limits

🔒 Privacy-Focused

• Browser-based - Data never leaves your device
• Completely private - No server storage
• No logging - Zero data retention
• Secure HTTPS - Encrypted connections
• Anonymous use - No registration required

📋 User-Friendly Interface

• Simple design - Clean, intuitive layout
• Copy button - One-click copying
• Clear button - Reset input quickly
• Before/after view - Compare encoded and decoded
• Sample examples - Learn by example
• Character counter - Track text length

🔧 Advanced Features

Professional tools:

• Batch decoding - Multiple URLs at once
• Component extraction - Parse query parameters
• Validation - Check for proper encoding
• Code snippets - Decoding in various languagessnyk​
• Format detection - Auto-detect encoding type

📱 Mobile-Optimized

• Responsive design - Works on all devices
• Touch-friendly - Easy mobile interaction
• Fast loading - Minimal resource usage
• Full features - Complete functionality on phones
• Offline capable - Progressive web app

Decode vs Encode

URL Decodingsnyk+1​

Converts percent-encoded → readable texturldecoder+1​

Example:

text
Input:  Hello%20World%20%26%20Friends
Output: Hello World & Friends

Use when:snyk​

• Reading encoded URLsurldecoder​
• Analyzing query parameterssnyk​
• Processing form dataurldecoder​
• Debugging web applications
• Extracting search queries
• Analyzing log files

URL Encodingwikipedia+1​

Converts readable text → percent-encodedwikipedia+1​

Example:

text
Input:  Hello World & Friends
Output: Hello%20World%20%26%20Friends

Use when:

• Building query strings
• Creating API requests
• Generating tracking URLs
• Submitting form data
• Constructing safe URLs
• Handling special characters

Our tool provides both functions

Best Practices

When to Decodeurldecoder​

✅ Decode when:

• Reading URLs from logs or analyticsurldecoder​
• Processing API responsessnyk​
• Analyzing query parameters
• Debugging web applications
• Extracting human-readable data
• Converting for reports or displays

Handling Decoded Data

✅ Safe practices:

• Validate decoded output
• Check for double-encoding
• Sanitize before displaying in HTML
• Be aware of security implications
• Handle malformed encodings gracefully
• Test with edge cases

Security Considerations

⚠️ Security warnings:

• Don't trust decoded user input
• Validate data after decoding
• Watch for injection attempts
• Sanitize before database storage
• Be cautious with decoded scripts
• Never execute decoded code blindly

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

❌ Avoid:

• Double decoding - Decoding already decoded text
• Mixing contexts - Form data vs URL pathdeveloper.mozilla​
• Ignoring encoding - Assuming all text is ASCII
• Security blindness - Trusting decoded input
• Character set issues - Not handling UTF-8 properlybunny​

Programming Examplessnyk​

JavaScript

javascript
// Decoding URL components
const encoded = "Hello%20World%20%26%20Friends";
const decoded = decodeURIComponent(encoded);
// Result: "Hello World & Friends"

// Decode full URL
const fullUrl = "http://example.com/path%20name?q=test";
const decodedUrl = decodeURI(fullUrl);
// Result: "http://example.com/path name?q=test"

// Parse query parameters
const urlParams = new URLSearchParams("?name=John%20Doe&email=user%40example.com");
const name = urlParams.get('name');  // Automatically decoded: "John Doe"
const email = urlParams.get('email'); // Automatically decoded: "user@example.com"

Python

python
from urllib.parse import unquote, unquote_plus

# Standard decoding
encoded = "Hello%20World%20%26%20Friends"
decoded = unquote(encoded)
# Result: "Hello World & Friends"

# Decode with plus signs
form_data = "Hello+World+%26+Friends"
decoded = unquote_plus(form_data)
# Result: "Hello World & Friends"

PHP

php
// URL decoding
$encoded = "Hello%20World%20%26%20Friends";
$decoded = urldecode($encoded);
// Result: "Hello World & Friends"

// Raw URL decoding
$raw_encoded = "Hello%20World%20%26%20Friends";
$raw_decoded = rawurldecode($raw_encoded);
// Result: "Hello World & Friends"

Javasnyk​

java
import java.net.URLDecoder;
import java.nio.charset.StandardCharsets;

String encoded = "Hello%20World%20%26%20Friends";
String decoded = URLDecoder.decode(encoded, StandardCharsets.UTF_8);
// Result: "Hello World & Friends"

C# / .NET

csharp
using System;
using System.Web;

string encoded = "Hello%20World%20%26%20Friends";
string decoded = HttpUtility.UrlDecode(encoded);
// Result: "Hello World & Friends"

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between %20 and + for spaces?w3schools+1​

Both represent spaces, but in different contexts:developer.mozilla+1​

• %20: Universal space encoding, works everywherew3schools+1​
• +: Used in form data (application/x-www-form-urlencoded)developer.mozilla+1​

In URLs:

• Path: Use %20 (e.g., /path%20name)
• Query: Either works, but %20 is standardw3schools​
• Forms: + is traditionaldeveloper.mozilla+1​

Our decoder handles bothw3schools+1​

Can I decode international characters?bunny​

Yes, percent encoding supports UTF-8:bunny​

International characters are encoded as UTF-8 bytes, then percent-encoded:bunny​

text
Encoded: zajec%20in%20je%C5%BE
Decoded: zajec in jež

Our tool automatically handles UTF-8 decoding.bunny​

What if the URL is double-encoded?

Double encoding requires multiple passes:

text
Double-encoded: Hello%2520World
First decode:   Hello%20World
Second decode:  Hello World

Detection: Look for %25 (encoded percent sign)urldecoder​

Solution: Decode repeatedly until no more changes occur, or use our multi-pass option.

How do I handle malformed encodings?

Common issues:

• Incomplete sequences (%2 missing second digit)
• Invalid hex characters (%GG)
• Missing percent signs
• Mixed encoding styles

Our tool:

• Handles common errors gracefully
• Preserves malformed sequences when can't decode
• Provides error indicators
• Offers validation checks

Is decoding safe for user input?

Decoding reveals the actual data, which may be unsafe:

⚠️ Security concerns:

• Decoded data might contain scripts
• Could include SQL injection attempts
• May have XSS payloads
• Might contain path traversal attacks

✅ Safe practices:

• Decode for analysis only
• Validate and sanitize decoded output
• Never execute decoded content
• Use in read-only contexts
• Apply appropriate security filters

Why does my decoded URL look weird?

Possible reasons:

1. Wrong character encoding - Not UTF-8
2. Double encoding - Encoded multiple times
3. Partial encoding - Only some characters encoded
4. Legacy encoding - Old encoding schemes
5. Broken URL - Malformed from source

Solution: Try different decoding options or check source encoding.

Can I decode just part of a URL?

Yes, selective decoding is possible:

You can decode:

• Just query parameters
• Only path segments
• Specific parameter values
• Individual components

Our tool offers component-based decoding for precise control.

Related CyberTools for URL Management

Complement your URL decoding with these related tools on CyberTools:

🔒 URL Encoder

• Encode text to URL-safe format
• Create valid query strings
• Percent-encode special characters

🔗 URL Parser

• Break URLs into components
• Extract query parameters
• Analyze URL structure

📝 Query String Parser

• Parse query parameters automatically
• Key-value pair extraction
• Parameter validation

🔐 Base64 Decoder

• Decode Base64 strings
• Alternative encoding format
• Binary data handling

🌐 Punycode Decoder

• Decode international domain names
• IDN to Unicode conversion
• Domain name processing

🔍 Link Analyzer

• Comprehensive URL analysis
• Detect encoding issues
• Validate URL structure

📊 UTM Parameter Extractor

• Extract campaign parameters
• Decode tracking data
• Analytics URL processing

🛡️ URL Security Scanner

• Analyze decoded URLs for threats
• Detect malicious patterns
• Security validation

Start Decoding URLs Now

Stop struggling with encoded URLs. Get instant, accurate URL decoding with the CyberTools URL Decoder.

✅ Completely free - unlimited use
✅ All encoding formats - %XX, +, UTF-8bunny+1​
✅ Instant results - Real-time conversion
✅ Privacy-focused - Client-side processing
✅ No registration - Anonymous use
✅ Mobile-friendly - Works everywhere
✅ Handles malformed URLs - Graceful error handling
✅ Encode option - Reverse encoding included
✅ Component parsing - Extract parameterssnyk​

Decode URLs Now →

For developers: Need bulk URL decoding or API access? Contact us about enterprise URL processing, automated decoding pipelines, and integration solutions.

Have questions? Reach out at support@cybertools.cfd or visit our Contact Page.

The CyberTools URL Decoder helps thousands of developers, analysts, and web professionals read and process encoded URLs every day. Join them in converting percent-encoded text to readable format.

Related Resources:

• URL Encoder
• URL Encoding Guide
• Query String Parser
• HTML Entity Decoder
• Base64 Decoder
• Web Development Tools
• URL Security Best Practices
• Help Center

1. https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Glossary/Percent-encoding
2. https://www.url-encode-decode.com
3. https://www.urldecoder.org
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Percent-encoding
5. https://bunny.net/academy/http/what-is-url-uniform-resource-identifier-and-percent-encoding/
6. https://snyk.io/blog/java-url-encoding-decoding/
7. https://urlcodec.com
8. https://www.w3schools.com/tags/ref_urlencode.ASP
9. https://meyerweb.com/eric/tools/dencoder/
10. https://www.urldecoder.org/dec/percentage/