JSON Unescape
Unescape JSON strings online - convert escape sequences back to special characters instantly
Input
Output
What Is JSON Unescape?
JSON Unescape converts escape sequences back into their original characters. When JSON strings are stored or transmitted, special characters are encoded as sequences like \", \\, \n, \t. Unescaping reverses this process, turning those sequences back into the actual characters they represent.
This tool has two modes: Unescape and Escape. Toggle between them at the top. Both run in your browser; nothing is sent to a server.
How to Use This Tool
Choose Mode
Select Unescape to convert escape sequences back to special characters, or Escape to convert them forward.
Paste Input
Paste your escaped JSON string into the left editor. You can paste a JSON string value with escape sequences. Use Sample or Upload if needed.
Copy Result
The right panel updates automatically. Use <strong>Copy</strong> or <strong>Download</strong> to get the result. For parsing unescaped JSON strings into objects, try String to JSON.
JSON Unescape Examples
Unescaping converts escape sequences back to their original characters. Example:
Escaped input
Unescaped output
When Unescaping Matters
When you receive a JSON string from an API that has been double-escaped, or when you need to read a string that was stored with escape sequences, unescaping is essential. APIs sometimes return JSON as a string with escape sequences, and this tool helps you decode it back to the original format.
For parsing escaped JSON strings into objects, use the String to JSON tool which can parse escaped strings directly.
Frequently Asked Questions
What escape sequences does this tool handle?
All standard JSON escape sequences: \" → ", \\ → \, \n → newline, \t → tab, \r → carriage return, \b → backspace, \f → form feed, \uXXXX → Unicode character.
Does this work on full JSON or just strings?
Both. In Unescape mode, escape sequences in the input are converted back. In Escape mode, special characters are encoded. For parsing a JSON string into an object, use String to JSON.
Is my data sent anywhere?
No. Processing runs entirely in your browser.
What if the input is not valid JSON?
The tool will attempt to unescape the string manually by replacing known escape sequences, even if the overall structure is not valid JSON.
When would I need to unescape JSON?
When JSON is stored or transmitted as a string (e.g. in a database, or as an API response that wraps JSON in another string). The outer layer adds escaping; unescaping removes it so you can read the original content.
Related Tools
The JSON string escaping rules are in RFC 8259. MDN covers JSON in JavaScript. The JSON specification defines all escape sequences. For parsing, see JSON.parse() and JSON.stringify().