About URL Decoder Online
This URL decoder reads percent-encoded text and turns every %XX sequence back into the character it stands for. It also lists the decoded parameters of any query string in a table. It is free, needs no sign-up and runs in your browser, so nothing you enter is uploaded.
Paste an encoded string such as caf%C3%A9%20au%20lait and you get café au lait. Several percent codes in a row are read together as UTF-8, which is how one letter like é or an emoji such as %F0%9F%98%80 comes back as a single character.
Decoding a long link makes it readable. Paste a full URL and the Query parameters table splits it into keys and values, each already decoded, which is a quick way to see what a tracking link or a redirect really carries. If the text came from an HTML form, tick + means space so plus signs become spaces, as in a+b, which decodes to a b. A real plus sign in form data is written %2B.
A malformed sequence is reported instead of guessed. A string that contains a bare percent sign, such as 100%, or an incomplete code like %E4%BD, shows the message Input contains an invalid percent sequence. Fix or encode that part, and decode again.
How to use URL Decoder Online
- Choose Encode to percent-encode text, or Decode to turn an encoded string back into text.
- Paste your text or URL into the box. The result appears as you type.
- When encoding, choose Component (encodeURIComponent) for one value, or Full URL (encodeURI) for a whole address that should keep its slashes, question mark and ampersands.
- Tick Space as + if the value goes into an HTML form style query string. When decoding, tick + means space for the same kind of data.
- Read the Query parameters table to see each key and value of a URL decoded.
- Use Show percent-encoding chart to look up the code for a character, then Copy to take the result.
Features
- Encode and decode in one tool, with the result updating as you type.
- Two encoding modes: Component (encodeURIComponent) and Full URL (encodeURI).
- UTF-8 aware, so accented letters, Bangla, Chinese and emoji become the correct multi-byte percent sequences.
- Space as %20 or as +, for forms and for URLs.
- Decode with the option + means space.
- A clear error, Input contains an invalid percent sequence, when something like %G1 or a stray % is found.
- Query parameters table that decodes every key and value of a URL or a bare query string.
- Percent-encoding chart of common special characters, with the reserved ones marked.
- One-click copy of the result.
Worked examples
caf%C3%A9%20au%20lait gives café au lait
a+b%2Bc, with + means space gives a b+c
The first plus is a space and %2B is a real plus.
https://shop.example/search?q=red%20shoes&size=42&tag=a%26b gives q = red shoes, size = 42, tag = a&b
This is how the Query parameters table reads the link. The %26 in the last value is an ampersand that belongs to the value.
Privacy: how it works
- The text and URLs you enter are processed by code in your browser tab. Nothing is sent to Ulkaa or to any other server, which you can confirm in the Network tab of your browser developer tools.
- That is useful because real URLs often carry tokens, email addresses and session identifiers in their query strings. You can inspect and decode them here without sending them anywhere.
Tips
- Decode a URL from a log or an email to see what a tracking link really contains. The Query parameters table lists each key and value.
- Encode the value, not the whole URL, when you build a link by hand with a parameter such as ?next=.
- If decoding fails, look for a bare % that was not meant as an escape, for example in 100% or in a copied sentence. Encode it as %25 first.
- Reserved characters are only a problem inside a value. In their normal place, a ? that starts the query or a & that separates parameters, they must stay as they are.
Frequently asked questions
Is it really free?
Yes. There is no price, no trial and no credit card. Ulkaa Tool does the work with your own device, so there is no server bill to pass on to you.
Do I need an account?
No. There is no sign-up and no login. Open the page and use it. An Ulkaa account is not needed for anything on this tool.
Does it run in my browser?
Yes. Your text and URLs are processed by code running in your browser tab, on your own device.
Is my data uploaded?
No. Your text and URLs are never sent to Ulkaa or to anyone else. You can check this yourself by watching the Network tab in your browser developer tools while you use the tool.
How do I decode a URL?
Choose Decode, which is already selected on this page, and paste the encoded text. Each %XX sequence becomes its character. For a link from a form, also tick + means space.
Why do I get an invalid percent sequence error?
A % must be followed by two hexadecimal digits, and the codes together must form valid UTF-8. A bare % in the text, a cut-off code or a Latin-1 style code such as %E9 on its own causes it.
What does %2520 decode to?
One decode gives %20, which means the value was encoded twice. Decode a second time to get a space.
Should plus signs become spaces?
Only in form-encoded query strings. In a normal URL path a plus is a plus. Tick + means space when your data came from a form.
More URL Encoder and Decoder pages
- URL Encoder and DecoderPercent-encode text so it is safe in a URL, or decode an encoded URL back to readable text.
- URL Encoder OnlinePercent-encode a URL or a piece of text so it works as a link.
- encodeURIComponent OnlineSee exactly what encodeURIComponent returns for any string.
- Percent-Encoding ChartLook up the %XX code of a special character and see which characters are reserved in URLs.