Decode percent-encoded URLs and query string values back to readable text. Paste encoded links from analytics, redirects, or API logs and restore the original characters.
Output will appear here.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is URL decoding?
It reverses percent-encoding — %20 becomes a space, %3D becomes =, and UTF-8 sequences become readable characters.
decodeURI vs decodeURIComponent?
decodeURI handles full URLs and leaves structural characters intact. decodeURIComponent decodes every encoded sequence.
Why does decoding fail?
Malformed sequences like %ZZ or incomplete trailing % will throw an error. Check for truncated copy-paste.
Need to encode instead?
Use the URL Encoder to percent-encode text for safe URLs.
Is this tool free and does it work on mobile?
Yes on both counts. The URL Decoder on draft21 is completely free with no sign-up required and works on all devices.