Boneyard Tools

HTML Entity Decoder

Paste text full of HTML entities to turn it back into readable characters. Named entities like & and  , decimal entities like é and hex entities like é are all decoded instantly in your browser.

How to decode HTML entities

  1. Paste your encoded text or HTML into the input box.
  2. Read the decoded characters in the output box as you type.
  3. Copy the decoded result and use it wherever you need plain text.

Examples

Decode escaped markup

<div>a&b</div>
<div>a&b</div>

Decode a numeric entity

Caf&#233; &#x2615;
Café ☕

Frequently asked questions

What does HTML entity decoding do?

It converts escaped sequences like &amp;, &lt; and &#233; back into the real characters they stand for, such as &, < and é, so the text reads normally.

What is the difference between named and numeric entities?

Named entities use a word, like &copy; for the copyright sign. Numeric entities use a code point in decimal (&#169;) or hexadecimal (&#xA9;). This tool decodes all three forms.

What happens to entities it does not recognise?

Unknown or malformed references like &unknownxyz; are left exactly as written. Only valid named, decimal and hex entities are decoded, so nothing else is changed.

How is &nbsp; handled?

&nbsp; is decoded to a non-breaking space (U+00A0). It looks like a normal space but will not wrap or collapse the way a regular space does.

Does it decode everything in one pass?

Yes. Decoding happens in a single pass, so &amp;lt; becomes the literal text &lt; rather than being double-decoded into a less-than sign.

Is my text private?

Yes. Decoding runs entirely in your browser and nothing is uploaded to a server.

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