Why decode HTML entities?
Text taken from HTML source, an API response, an RSS feed, a database export or a CMS often arrives with entities instead of characters: & instead of &, " instead of quotes, á instead of á, € instead of €. That is correct inside HTML, but when you want to read the text, use it in a spreadsheet, a JSON file or a plain-text email, you need the real characters back.
This tool uses the he library, which knows the full list of HTML5 named entities (more than 2,000) as well as decimal (é) and hexadecimal (é) numeric entities for any Unicode character. It follows the same rules as browsers, including entities written without the final semicolon in the cases where HTML allows it.
There is an option to decode as an attribute value. In that strict mode, ambiguous sequences that a browser would leave untouched inside an attribute, such as © followed by = or a letter in a URL query string, are not decoded. Use it when the text comes from href or other attribute values.
The result is plain text with the real characters, so it can go straight into a spreadsheet, a JSON file, a translation tool or an email without leftover codes. Decoding runs in your browser and nothing is uploaded. You get one free try per tool: one file or one pasted text. After that you can still re-process the same text with different options, but new input needs ToolStudio Pro, which gives unlimited use of every tool, several files at once downloaded together in a ZIP, and no ads. You can cancel anytime.
How to decode HTML entities
- Paste the text with entities or drop a file.
- Turn on decode as attribute value if the text comes from an HTML attribute.
- Decode the text.
- Copy or download the readable result.
When to decode HTML entities
- Cleaning text scraped or copied from HTML source.
- Reading API or RSS content that arrives HTML-escaped.
- Fixing database exports full of & and ".
- Preparing text for spreadsheets, JSON or plain-text emails.
- Fixing double-escaped text, like &, by decoding twice.
Decoding examples
- á → á
- € → €
- 😀 → 😀
- Fish & Chips → Fish & Chips
- <p> → <p>
Double encoding
If text was escaped twice, & first becomes & and then &amp;. Decoding once gives &, decoding the result again gives &. When you see &quot; or &amp; in your data, that is the sign of double encoding.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which entities are supported?
All HTML5 named entities (more than 2,000) and all decimal and hexadecimal numeric entities.
What does decode as attribute value do?
It applies the stricter rules browsers use inside attributes, so ambiguous sequences such as ©= in a URL are left as they are.
Why do I still see & after decoding?
The text was probably encoded twice. Decode the result again.
Is my text uploaded?
No, decoding happens in your browser.
Is it free?
One file or one pasted text is free and you can re-decode it with other options. New input needs ToolStudio Pro, which gives unlimited use, several files at once in a ZIP and no ads.