About the URL Decoder
Paste a percent-encoded URL or query string and get the readable version back instantly. An optional setting treats + characters as spaces, matching how browsers decode traditional HTML form submissions.
How to use it
- 01Paste the encoded string.
- 02Toggle '+ means space' on if the string came from a form submission (application/x-www-form-urlencoded).
- 03Read or copy the decoded result.
Features
- Standard decodeURIComponent-based decoding
- Optional +-to-space conversion for form-encoded data
- Friendly error message for malformed percent sequences instead of a crash
Practical examples
Reading server logs
Decode a percent-encoded path or query string captured in an access log.
Form data debugging
Decode application/x-www-form-urlencoded request bodies where spaces are sent as +.
Limitations
- Cannot decode a string that isn't valid percent-encoding — such input triggers an error message instead of a guess.
Privacy
All decoding is done client-side; nothing is transmitted or logged.
Read the full privacy policy for how the site as a whole handles data.
Frequently asked questions
Why enable '+ means space'?
Traditional form submissions encode spaces as + rather than %20, so this option is needed to decode them correctly.
What causes a 'malformed' error?
A % not followed by two valid hex digits, which is not decodable percent-encoding.
Does it handle repeated encoding?
It decodes one layer at a time; run the result through again if a string was encoded twice.