Unescape JavaScript string

What the conversion does

Read a quoted JSON-compatible JavaScript string literal as plain text. Parse standard JSON escapes in a quoted string literal.

Worked example

Start with the input shown on this page: "Hello\nWelcome". The tool produces: Hello Welcome. Try the example first so you can compare the two representations. Then replace it with your own material. The result is plain text that you can copy into an editor, a test fixture or a request only after checking that its destination expects the same form.

Format rules and limits

The matching escape tool creates a quoted JavaScript-compatible string using JSON escape rules. This reverse tool reads precisely that JSON-compatible subset, so the input must include the surrounding double quotes. It decodes backslash escapes such as backslash-n for a line break, backslash-t for a tab, escaped quotes, backslashes and Unicode escapes. It does not execute JavaScript, expand variables or interpret template literals. JavaScript also has forms such as single-quoted literals and hexadecimal escapes that are outside the JSON string grammar and are intentionally rejected. The output can contain actual control characters: a decoded line break will appear as a line break rather than the two source characters backslash and n. Inspect the result carefully before placing it in a CSV cell, HTML page or URL, where another escaping layer may be needed.

Check the result

Keep the original beside the transformed text while you inspect it. Compare a small known case first, especially one containing punctuation, a non-ASCII character, a repeated value or an empty field relevant to your data. A readable output is not proof that the receiving program accepts the same schema or conventions. If you exchange data between applications, run the receiving parser and review a few records after import. Keep important source files under version control so changes are reversible. Processing takes place in your browser; this page does not send the pasted input to a conversion server. Browser memory and the clipboard still need ordinary care on shared devices.

The source and result have different roles even when they look similar. The method above defines the accepted subset rather than every extension of the named format. For a strict receiving system, try a small known case before changing many records. If validation fails, return to the original input and the first reported error; editing only the generated result can hide the cause.

Check the unescaped result by escaping it again and comparing the quoted representation with the original input. The visible result may contain actual tabs or line breaks, so inspect it in an editor that can reveal whitespace. If the next destination is HTML, a URL or a database query, apply that destination’s own encoding or parameterization rules afterward. String unescaping alone does not make content safe for another context.