Online HTML Entity Decoder

Q: When would I need to decode HTML entities?

Common scenarios include extracting readable text from HTML source code, processing web-scraped content that contains entities, and cleaning up data exported from CMS platforms that over-encode special characters.

Q: Does decoding preserve whitespace entities like ?

Yes. The non-breaking space entity ( ) is decoded to the Unicode non-breaking space character (U+00A0). All whitespace entities are converted to their corresponding Unicode characters, preserving the intended spacing.

Convert HTML entities back to plain text for easy copy, editing, or display.

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How to use

Paste or type your input in the left editor
Adjust options in the toolbar if available
Copy or download the output from the right pane

This free online tool runs entirely in your browser. No sign‑up, no server uploads.

About HTML Decode

Convert HTML entities back to plain text for easy copy, editing, or display.

The HTML decoder scans the input for entity patterns — named entities (&name;), decimal references (&#digits;), and hexadecimal references (&#xhex;). Each matched entity is looked up in a comprehensive mapping of all 2,231 HTML5 named entities or converted from its numeric code point to the corresponding Unicode character. Non-entity text passes through unchanged.

Use the left editor to enter your data. The output updates in real time. You can copy, clear, download, or expand either pane.

Tip: Use the search bar to quickly switch between tools.

Sample HTML

<div class="note">Tom & Jerry</div>

Example input shown above. Output appears in the right pane instantly.

Why this tool?

Feature	HTML Decode	Typical alternatives
Free online tool	Yes	Often yes
Client‑side only (privacy)	Yes	Varies
No sign‑up required	Yes	Varies

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FAQs

What HTML entities does the decoder support?

The decoder supports all named HTML entities (like &, <, >,  , —), decimal numeric entities (—), and hexadecimal numeric entities (—). The full set of 2,231 named entities from the HTML5 specification is recognized.

Can I decode HTML entities back to readable text?

Yes. The decoder converts HTML entity references back to their original characters. For example, <div> becomes <div>, and &copy; becomes the copyright symbol. This is useful for recovering readable text from encoded HTML source.

Does the decoder handle nested or double-encoded entities?

The decoder processes one level of encoding by default. If your text is double-encoded (e.g., &lt; which should become < then <), you can run the decoder multiple times to fully resolve all levels of encoding.

When would I need to decode HTML entities?

Common scenarios include extracting readable text from HTML source code, processing web-scraped content that contains entities, and cleaning up data exported from CMS platforms that over-encode special characters.

Does decoding preserve whitespace entities like  ?

Yes. The non-breaking space entity ( ) is decoded to the Unicode non-breaking space character (U+00A0). All whitespace entities are converted to their corresponding Unicode characters, preserving the intended spacing.