Free URL Decoder — Decode Percent-Encoded URLs Instantly

What Is URL Decoding?

URL decoding is the reverse of URL encoding — it converts percent-encoded characters back into their original, human-readable form. For example, %20 becomes a space, %26 becomes &, and %3D becomes =.

When you encounter a long, unreadable URL full of %xx sequences, our free URL decoder transforms it into clean, readable text in seconds.

Why URL Decoding Is Useful

• Read encoded URLs — Understand what a percent-encoded URL actually says
• Debug API requests — Inspect encoded query parameters to find issues in API calls
• Analyze tracking links — Decode UTM parameters and affiliate links to see campaign details
• Extract search queries — Decode Google search URLs to see what was searched
• Clean up shared links — Convert messy encoded URLs into shareable, readable format

How URL Decoding Works

Percent-Encoding to Characters

Each %XX sequence represents a byte value in hexadecimal. The decoder reads these hex values and converts them back to the corresponding UTF-8 characters. For multi-byte characters (like emoji or CJK text), multiple %XX sequences combine into a single character.

Plus Sign Handling

In form-encoded data (application/x-www-form-urlencoded), the + sign represents a space. Our decoder handles both %20 and + as spaces for maximum compatibility.

How to Use Our Free URL Decoder

1. Paste the encoded URL or text into the input field
2. Click Decode to convert all percent-encoded characters
3. Copy the decoded, human-readable result

Common Use Cases

• Reading Google search URLs — Decode the q= parameter to see the actual search query
• Debugging webhook payloads — Decode URL-encoded form data from webhooks
• Inspecting redirect chains — Decode nested redirect URLs to trace the full path
• Analyzing email tracking links — Decode marketing email URLs to understand tracking parameters
• Decoding JavaScript escape sequences — Convert encoded strings from browser console logs

Best Practices

• Decode iteratively if needed — Some URLs are double- or triple-encoded; decode multiple times until the output stabilizes
• Watch for encoding mismatches — If decoded text looks garbled, the original may have used a non-UTF-8 encoding
• Don't decode structural URL characters — Decoding the ? and & separators in a query string will break the URL structure

Related Tools

• URL Encoder — Encode special characters for safe URL transmission
• URL Parser — Break down URLs into protocol, host, path, and query components
• Base64 Decoder — Decode Base64-encoded strings
• HTML Entity Converter — Convert HTML entities to readable characters
• UTM Link Generator — Build clean, trackable campaign URLs

Frequently Asked Questions

What does %20 mean in a URL?

%20 is the percent-encoded representation of a space character. When you see %20 in a URL, it simply means there's a space in that position. Our decoder converts it back to a readable space automatically.

How do I know if a URL is encoded?

Look for % followed by two hexadecimal digits (0-9, A-F). Common patterns include %20 (space), %26 (&), %3D (=), and %2F (/). If you see these, the URL is percent-encoded.

Can I decode a URL that was encoded multiple times?

Yes — simply run the decoder multiple times. Each pass decodes one layer. When the output stops changing, you've fully decoded the URL.