Convert a URL formatted content to plain text in microsoft EXCEL - excel

Question

I have URL formatted content, usually I just translate manually 1-by-1m but this time there are thousand of entry, eg:-
%E5%B7%B2%E4%BB%8E%E5%B8%90%E6%88%B7zh*****%40outlook.com%E5%88%A0%E9%99%A48618650533*%E3%80%82%E4%B8%8D%E6%98%AF%E4%BD%A0%EF%BC%9F
%E7%AE%A1%E7%90%86%E9%A2%84%E8%AE%A2%0A
https%3A%2F%2Faccount.live.com%2Fa
OTO+GLOBAL+Certification+No%3A%5B6198%5D
Deluxe+Room+-1+%E9%97%B4%0A
Ihre+Agoda+Buchung+Nr.+77083713+ist+bes %C3%A4tigt%21+Verwalten+Sie+Ihre+B
%E6%82%A8%E7%9A%84Agoda%E8%AE%A2%E5%8D%95%2877083753%29%E5%B7%B2%E7%A%AE%E8%AE%A4%EF%BC%81+%E4%BD%BF%E7%94%A8%E6%88%91%E4%BB%AC%E7%9A%84%E5%85%8D%E8%B4%B9%E5%AE%A2%E6%88%B7%E7%AB%AFhttp%3A%2F%2Fapp-agoda.com%2FGetTheApp%EF%BC%8C%E8%BD%BB%E6%9D%BE
Is there any way to convert all of this content to plain English text in Microsoft Excel?
Regards

Answer 1

There isn't a built-in function to handle this, but it's possible with a custom function, installing a third-party add-in, or using the substitute command:
Using a custom VBA function
Source: http://www.freevbcode.com/ShowCode.asp?ID=1512
Public Function URLDecode(StringToDecode As String) As String
Dim TempAns As String
Dim CurChr As Integer
CurChr = 1
Do Until CurChr - 1 = Len(StringToDecode)
Select Case Mid(StringToDecode, CurChr, 1)
Case "+"
TempAns = TempAns & " "
Case "%"
TempAns = TempAns & Chr(Val("&h" & _
Mid(StringToDecode, CurChr + 1, 2)))
CurChr = CurChr + 2
Case Else
TempAns = TempAns & Mid(StringToDecode, CurChr, 1)
End Select
CurChr = CurChr + 1
Loop
URLDecode = TempAns
End Function
With third-party add-in
Source: SeoTools (needs installation)
=UrlDecode(your_string_here)
With substitute command
Source: https://searchmarketingcorner.wordpress.com/2013/03/27/creating-an-excel-formula-to-encode-or-unencode-urls/
Paste the formula below to the right of your cell in order to URL decode the contents of that cell
=SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(CELL_TO_BE_DECODED,"%3F","?"),"%20"," "),"%25", "%"),"%26","&"),"%3D","="),"%7B","{"),"%7D","}"),"%5B","["),"%5D","]")
Or for working with GUIDs, add one more SUBSTITUTE for the dashes.
=SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(CELL_TO_BE_DECODED,"%3F","?"),"%20"," "),"%25", "%"),"%26","&"),"%3D","="),"%7B","{"),"%7D","}"),"%5B","["),"%5D","]"),"%2D","-")
For completeness, here is the reverse formula for URL encode. This is the same as the URL encode formula but positions of new_text and old_text swapped around.
=SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(CELL_TO_BE_ENCODED,"?","%3F")," ","%20"),"%","%25"),"&","%26"),"=","%3D"),"{","%7B"),"}","%7D"),"[","%5B"),"]","%5D")
Or for working with GUIDs, add one more SUBSTITUTE for the dashes.
=SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(CELL_TO_BE_ENCODED,"?","%3F")," ","%20"),"%","%25"),"&","%26"),"=","%3D"),"{","%7B"),"}","%7D"),"[","%5B"),"]","%5D"),"-","%2D")

Answer 2

Here is a User Defined Function (UDF) that actually works.
In a standard code module, place this routine:
Public Function URLDecode(url$) As String
With CreateObject("ScriptControl")
.Language = "JavaScript"
URLDecode = .Eval("unescape(""" & url & """)")
End With
End Function
Now you can call it from the worksheet, just like a built-in Excel function.
For example, if your encoded URL text were in cell A1, you could enter the following formula in cell B1:
=URLDecode(A1)
That's it. The fully decoded URL is now in cell B1.
Note that this is the real deal. It is not an attempt to replace a couple of characters. This uses the full power of JavaScript by way of the Microsoft Script Control to completely decode the URL.

Answer 3

The following adds decoding for commas in URLs. Just an additional SUBSTITUTE for %2C. This just adds to Carlos's post from 4 years ago.
=SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(CELL_TO_BE_DECODED,"%3F","?"),"%20"," "),"%25", "%"),"%26","&"),"%3D","="),"%7B","{"),"%7D","}"),"%5B","["),"%5D","]"),"%2D","-"),"%2C",",")

Answer 4

You can do it without VBA using array formulas. If A1 is the cell to be decoded, enter this formula, and then press Ctrl-Shift-Enter:
=TEXTJOIN("", FALSE,
MID(A1,
FIND("*",
SUBSTITUTE("%DD"&A1,"%","*", ROW(INDIRECT("1:"&LEN(A1)-LEN(SUBSTITUTE(A1,"%",""))+1)) )
),
FIND("*",
SUBSTITUTE(A1&"%","%","*", ROW(INDIRECT("1:"&LEN(A1)-LEN(SUBSTITUTE(A1,"%",""))+1)) )
) - FIND("*",
SUBSTITUTE("%EE"&A1,"%","*", ROW(INDIRECT("1:"&LEN(A1)-LEN(SUBSTITUTE(A1,"%",""))+1)) )
)
) & IFERROR(CHAR(HEX2DEC(MID(A1,
FIND("*",
SUBSTITUTE(A1&"%","%","*", ROW(INDIRECT("1:"&LEN(A1)-LEN(SUBSTITUTE(A1,"%",""))+1)) )
)+1,
2
))),"")
)
It won't work if you don't Ctrl-Shift-Enter.