URL Decoder

URL decoding is the process of converting percent-encoded characters (like %20 or %3A) back into their original ASCII or UTF-8 text representations. It is the direct opposite of URL encoding.

In query strings and forms encoded as application/x-www-form-urlencoded, space characters are historically replaced with a plus sign (+) instead of %20. Turning this option on ensures plus signs are decoded back to spaces.

Strict mode throws an error when it encounters an invalid percent-escape sequence (like an isolated "%" or invalid hex characters like "%G1"). Lenient mode bypasses these errors and leaves the invalid sequence as-is, decoding only valid parts.

Yes. All decoding operations run entirely inside your browser using client-side JavaScript. None of the text you enter or decode is sent to our servers.

URLs can only be transmitted using a specific set of safe ASCII characters. Any characters outside of this set (like spaces, emojis, or international letters) must be percent-encoded to prevent the URL from breaking during transmission.

Simply paste the entire percent-encoded URL into the input field. The tool will instantly convert all the % escape sequences back into their normal text characters.

This happens in Strict mode when the input contains a % sign that is not followed by two valid hexadecimal digits, such as "100% discount". Using Lenient mode will safely bypass this error.

No, URL decoding (percent-decoding) is different from Base64 decoding. If your string looks like ey..., you should use our dedicated Base64 Decoder tool instead.

%20 is the standard percent-encoded representation of a space character. When decoded, it turns back into a normal blank space.

Yes! Standard percent-encoding uses UTF-8 to encode Unicode characters. Our decoder fully supports UTF-8 and will correctly restore international characters, symbols, and emojis.