PHP URL Decode example

PHP contains two inbuilt functions called urldecode() and rawurldecode() to decode a URL encoded string back to its normal form.

The urldecode() function

# Syntax
urldecode (string $str) : string

The urldecode() function takes a URL encoded (percent encoded) string and decodes it. It is just the opposite of urlencode() function. It converts plus sign (+) to space character.

Example

<?php
echo urldecode("Hell%C3%B6+W%C3%B6rld") . "\n";
?>

# Output
Hellö Wörld

The rawurldecode() function

The rawurldecode() function is just like urldecode() function except that it doesn’t decode plus sign (+) to space character -

# Syntax
rawurldecode (string $str) : string

Example

<?php
echo rawurldecode("Hell%C3%B6+W%C3%B6rld") . "\n";
?>

# Output
Hellö+Wörld

Also Read: URL Encode PHP Example

References

• PHP urldecode() function
• PHP rawurldecode() function