HTML Entity Decoder

Turn HTML entities such as & and < back into the characters they represent.

Try an example

Load a ready-made sample into this tool and run it. Every result you see is calculated live by the tool itself — nothing here is a pre-written answer.

Sample: input: <p>Hello & World</p>

How to Use

  1. Paste text containing entities.
  2. Click Run.
  3. Copy the decoded text.

What this HTML entity decoder does

This HTML entity decoder turns HTML entities back into the characters they stand for. Entities are the codes web pages use for characters that would otherwise clash with markup: & means an ampersand, < a less-than sign. Paste text containing named or numeric entities and the decoder returns the readable characters, ready to copy or inspect. Paste a single line or a whole block of source.

When to use it

Use it when text copied from a page source, a feed or a database shows codes instead of characters — quotes written as ", apostrophes as ', and so on. It is equally handy for checking what a snippet of escaped content will actually say once a browser renders it on a page.

Good to know

Both named entities (such as ©) and numeric ones (such as ©) are decoded. An entity the decoder does not recognise is left unchanged rather than removed, so unusual or misspelled codes survive for you to spot instead of silently disappearing from your text.

Frequently asked questions

Why did one entity stay as code in my result?

It was probably misspelled or is not a recognised entity name. Unknown entities pass through untouched, which protects your text from losing content. Check the spelling against a reference, including the trailing semicolon, and run the text again.

What is the difference between named and numeric entities?

Named entities use a memorable word, like & for an ampersand. Numeric entities use the character's number instead, like & for the same sign. Both describe the same character, and this decoder accepts either form.

Does decoding change how my page renders?

Decoding recovers the underlying characters; whether they then act as markup depends on where you paste them. An ampersand returned as & is plain text here, but if you insert a decoded < into HTML it becomes a tag again.

How to use HTML Entity Decoder

  1. Paste text containing entities.
  2. Click Run.
  3. Copy the decoded text.

Limitations

Numeric and named entities both decode; unknown entities are left unchanged.

Browse all tools · More Text Converters tools

Related tools

JSON FormatterText ConvertersPretty-print JSON with indentation or compress it to a single line, with errors shown in plain words.JSON ValidatorText ConvertersCheck whether text is valid JSON and, when it is not, read a plain explanation of the first error.XML FormatterText ConvertersIndent XML so nested elements are easy to read, with malformed XML reported instead of guessed.HTML FormatterText ConvertersIndent HTML markup for readability using a simple formatter that keeps tags and text in order.HTML Entity EncoderText ConvertersEscape HTML characters such as <, > and & into entities so markup displays as text instead of rendering.URL EncoderText ConvertersPercent-encode text for safe use inside a URL, query string or link parameter.
Scroll to Top