What is double encoding?

Double encoding occurs when an already-encoded string is encoded again (e.g., %20 becomes %2520). DevDash shows both single-pass and recursive decode results.

Can I decode an entire URL?

Yes. Paste the full URL and DevDash will decode all percent-encoded characters while preserving the URL structure.

Why do some URLs contain + instead of %20?

In application/x-www-form-urlencoded format (used in HTML forms), spaces are encoded as + instead of %20. Both represent a space character.

URL Decode

Encoding Tools

Decode percent-encoded URL strings

By DevToolHQ teamUpdated 2026-04-15100% client-sideMethodology

100% client-side processing

URL-Encoded Input

About URL Decode

Converts percent-encoded strings back to human-readable text. Useful when reading log files, debugging network requests in browser DevTools, or inspecting URLs copied from browser address bars. The tool handles full URLs and individual encoded components. It also detects double-encoding — a common bug where an already-encoded value gets encoded again, turning %20 into %2520. This produces a "decoded once" and "decoded fully" output so you can tell whether double-encoding is present. A frequent developer scenario: you capture a network request in browser DevTools and the URL in the log shows %22%7B%22key%22%3A%22value%22%7D%22. Paste it here to get {"key":"value"} — immediately readable. Another common case is reading redirect URLs that contain other URLs as parameters (e.g., OAuth callback URLs with encoded return_to parameters). The + vs %20 ambiguity is also handled: both are decoded as spaces, matching the behavior of decodeURIComponent plus application/x-www-form-urlencoded processing.