How to decode percent-encoded URL text back to plain UTF-8

1. Paste the encoded text

   Drop the URL-encoded string into the "Text" field. Inputs like `hello%20world` or `caf%C3%A9` work; the tool reads `%XX` sequences as UTF-8 byte pairs and rebuilds the original characters.

2. Press Run

   Result returns a single `decoded` field. Examples: `hello%20world` → `hello world`; `caf%C3%A9` → `café`; `q=a%26b` → `q=a&b`. Anything that isn't a valid `%XX` triple passes through unchanged.

3. What it accepts vs rejects

   This is `decodeURIComponent`-equivalent. A malformed sequence like `%ZZ` or a lone `%` followed by non-hex throws. If your input might be partially malformed, prefer `decodeURI` semantics on a server side or sanitise first.

4. When to use which

   Decode a single query value or path segment — not the whole URL. If you decode `https%3A%2F%2Fa.com%3Fq%3Dhi` to `https://a.com?q=hi`, you get the original; if you decode further, `&` separators in the query get over-decoded and you can't re-parse.