TOOL GUIDE · HTML CHARACTER REFERENCES
How entity decoding works
HTML character references represent characters using named forms such as an ampersand entity or numeric forms that identify a Unicode code point. This quick tool uses a detached browser textarea to decode common entities into a string. It does not insert the submitted content into the visible page as live markup while performing that decode.
Entity syntax varies and malformed or unknown references may not decode as expected. If text came from XML, a programming language, or a custom template system, its escaping rules may differ from HTML. Identify the source context before applying a decoder.
Decoded text should still be treated as untrusted
Decoding may reveal angle brackets, quotes, or strings that look like tags. That does not prove the content is safe to render. If the result will be displayed in a web page, use a safe text API for literal text or a properly configured HTML sanitizer for allowed rich content. Do not confuse decoding with validation or sanitization.
To prepare text so special HTML characters are represented as entities, see HTML Escape. For web-security context, consult the FormatInstant guidelines.
Entity decoding occurs in the current browser page. Do not execute or trust decoded content solely because an entity decoder produced it.