URL decoder, Decode URLs Instantly
Use our online URL decoder to convert URL-encoded strings to their original format. Paste your encoded URL to get readable text. Ideal for developers and marketers needing quick link decoding.
Result
Original Text
Converted Text
What is URL Encoding?
URL encoding converts characters that are not allowed in URLs into a format that can be transmitted over the Internet. It replaces unsafe ASCII characters with a "%" followed by two hexadecimal digits.
When to Use URL Encoding?
URL encoding is necessary when: - Sending data through URLs (query parameters) - Handling special characters in URLs - Working with multilingual content - Ensuring safe transmission of data
Common URL Encoding Examples
| Character | URL Encoded |
|---|---|
| Space | %20 or + |
| & | %26 |
| = | %3D |
| ? | %3F |
| / | %2F |
| @ | %40 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Reserved characters like spaces, &, =, ?, /, @, and special symbols must be encoded. Spaces become %20 or +, while characters like & become %26. Alphanumeric characters (A-Z, a-z, 0-9) and a few special characters (-, _, ., ~) do not require encoding.
URLs can only contain a limited set of ASCII characters. Encoding converts unsafe characters into a format that can be transmitted over the Internet without confusion. This ensures special characters, non-ASCII text, and reserved URL characters are properly handled.
Encoding converts readable text into URL-safe format (e.g., "hello world" becomes "hello%20world"). Decoding reverses this process, converting encoded sequences back to readable text (e.g., "%20" becomes a space). Use decode when reading URLs, and encode when creating them.