HTML Decode

Convert HTML entities back to readable characters — decode &, <, > and all named/numeric entities.

What is HTML Decoding?

HTML decoding converts HTML character entities back into their original characters. For example, &amp; becomes &, &lt; becomes <, &gt; becomes >, &quot; becomes ", and &nbsp; becomes a non-breaking space.

You commonly need HTML decoding when reading HTML source code that contains encoded content, processing scraped web data where text was encoded before storage, handling email content that uses HTML entities, working with CMS-generated content that auto-encodes certain characters, and converting HTML-encoded database content to plain text.

This decoder handles all three forms of HTML entities: named entities like &amp; and &copy;, decimal numeric entities like &#169; (©), and hexadecimal numeric entities like &#xA9; (also ©). The decoding uses a hidden DOM element to leverage the browser's built-in entity resolver, ensuring complete and accurate decoding of all standard HTML entities.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the most common HTML entities?
The most frequently used HTML entities are: &amp; (&), &lt; (<), &gt; (>), &quot; ("), &apos; or &#39; ('), &nbsp; (non-breaking space), &copy; (©), &reg; (®), &trade; (™), and &mdash; (—).
Can I decode numeric HTML entities like &#169;?
Yes. This tool decodes all three entity formats: named (&copy;), decimal numeric (&#169;), and hexadecimal numeric (&#xA9;) — all of which represent the copyright symbol ©.
Why would text be stored with HTML entities in a database?
Some CMSes and older PHP applications call htmlspecialchars() before storing text, leading to double-encoded content in the database. When this content is later retrieved and displayed, it shows literal entities instead of the intended characters. This tool helps reverse that encoding.

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