URL DECODE ========== Use URL Decode as a percent decoder for encoded text. Decode URL components, convert UTF-8 percent escapes, preserve plus signs, and copy the result. URL Decode converts percent-encoded bytes into readable UTF-8 text. Use this percent decoder to inspect an encoded path segment or query value. It performs one decoding pass and keeps a literal plus sign as +. OVERVIEW & METADATA ------------------- Canonical URL: https://million.tools/url-decode/ Markdown Copy (.md.txt): https://million.tools/url-decode.md.txt Plain Text Copy (.txt): https://million.tools/url-decode.txt API Endpoint: https://million.tools/api/v1/run/url-decode (POST, Keyless, 60 req/min) SEO Title: URL Decode Online | Percent Decoder for Text Alternative Names: Percent Decoder, URL Percent Decoding, URL decoder, URL component decoder, Percent-encoding decoder Category: Encoding (https://million.tools/encoding/) Tags: #URL Application Category: DeveloperApplication Platform: Web (All modern desktop and mobile browsers, requires JavaScript) Price: Free ($0.00 USD, no registration or sign-up required) Live Calculation: Supported (Auto / Live toggle enabled by default) Usage Statistics: 2 uses | 25 views Published: 2026-11-09 Last Updated: 2026-11-09 Author: Egor Volchenko (Developer & Author) KEY FEATURES ------------ - Decode percent escapes to UTF-8 text - Preserve literal plus signs - Perform one decoding pass - Preserve malformed percent escape sequences - Update edited input with Auto / Live or Run - Copy decoded output and clear text PARAMETERS & INTERFACE CONTROLS ------------------------------- Input Parameters & Options: - input_text: URL Encoded String. - input_encoding: Hex | Hex (Ignore Non-Hex Characters) | Base64 | UTF-8 | UTF-16LE | UTF-16BE | Windows-1251 (Cyrillic) | Windows-1252 (Latin 1) | ... (42 options) Output Fields & Metrics: - result: Decoded URL String. Controls: Run, Clear, Copy, Fill test data, Auto / Live INTERACTIVE EXAMPLE (TEST VECTOR) --------------------------------- Settings: - Input Encoding: UTF-8 URL Encoded String: a+b%20%2F%3F%3D%zz Decoded URL String: a+b /?=%zz HOW TO USE URL DECODE --------------------- Follow these steps to check the input and read the result. Read percent-encoded text: 1. Type or paste the percent-encoded value you want to inspect into URL Encoded String. 2. Leave Input Encoding: at UTF-8. The current operation reads the entered string directly; this selector does not change percent-decoding behavior. 3. Keep Auto / Live on to update the result as you edit. To process it manually, turn Auto / Live off and click Run. 4. Read Decoded URL String and check the result before using it. 5. Click Copy to copy the result. Use Clear where shown, or a field’s clear control, to clear the text before starting again. Enter hello%20world%2B to get hello world+. Input a+b stays a+b; it is not converted to a b. Decode a component in context: Decoding an encoded delimiter can change its meaning if you paste it back into a URL. For example, %26 becomes an ampersand. Inspect an individual value before deciding how to use it in a complete address. Recognize a single decoding pass: Input %2520 becomes %20 after one pass. Malformed escapes such as %ZZ remain as entered. This behavior follows raw percent decoding rather than a strict decodeURIComponent error path. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS -------------------------- Q: Why does a plus sign stay a plus sign? A: This tool uses raw percent-decoding behavior. It does not apply the form-urlencoded rule that treats + as a space. An encoded space such as %20 does become a space. Q: Does the tool decode repeatedly until the text is readable? A: No. It performs one pass. A doubly encoded sequence such as %2520 becomes %20, so inspect the result before deliberately decoding again. Q: What happens to an invalid percent escape? A: Malformed sequences such as %ZZ or an incomplete %2 are preserved. The operation does not reject the whole input solely because of those escapes. Q: Can this read percent-encoded non-English text? A: Yes, when the encoded bytes form valid UTF-8. Bytes from another character encoding may display incorrectly; the visible Input Encoding: selector does not change this operation. Q: Will URL decoding open the address? A: No. The form transforms the entered string and displays text. It does not visit the decoded address, test the destination, or verify that a link is safe. Q: Should I decode a whole URL or one query value? A: A single component is usually easier to inspect without confusing encoded data with structural delimiters. A whole URL can be entered as text, but decoded reserved characters may change how it would be interpreted. RELATED TOOLS ------------- - URL Encode (https://million.tools/url-encode/): Percent-encode a URL component or text value using UTF-8. Convert spaces, plus signs, and reserved characters before inserting a value into a URL. - JWT Decoder (https://million.tools/jwt-decoder/): Inspect a JSON Web Token’s decoded header and payload. Read claims as JSON for debugging; decoding does not verify the signature or token validity. - Base32 Encode (https://million.tools/base32-encode/): Encode text, Hex, or Base64 bytes as standard RFC 4648 Base32. The output uses uppercase letters, digits 2–7, and padding where needed. - Base32 Decode (https://million.tools/base32-decode/): Decode standard Base32 to UTF-8 text. Uppercase and lowercase input work; preserve required padding and remove internal whitespace. ABOUT THE AUTHOR ---------------- Egor Volchenko — Developer & Author Hi! I’m a WordPress developer with over 10 years of experience. I love Tailwind CSS, clean code, and intuitive interfaces. I’m currently working on million.tools — a service with convenient online tools for everyday tasks. I’m building it from scratch with great attention to detail and user experience. Links: x.com (https://x.com/egorleet) | github.com (https://github.com/egorleet) | t.me (https://t.me/egorleet) | instagram.com (https://www.instagram.com/egorleet) | facebook.com (https://www.facebook.com/egorleet/) | egorleet.blog (https://egorleet.blog/) | mastodon.social (https://mastodon.social/@egorleet) | twitch.tv (https://www.twitch.tv/egorvolchenko) | stackoverflow.com (https://stackoverflow.com/users/31679135/egor-volchenko) | reddit.com (https://www.reddit.com/user/Vegetable_Window9185/) | youtube.com (https://youtube.com/@egor-volchenko)