Ultimate Guide: Quoted-Printable Decoding
Quoted-Printable, or QP encoding, is a content transfer encoding used in e-mail for transmitting 8-bit data over 7-bit data paths. Our decoder allows you to instantly restore these messages to human-readable text.
How It Works
Any 8-bit byte value can be represented by a 3-character "quoted" string: an equals sign "=" followed by two hexadecimal digits. ASCII printable characters (excluding '=') are usually represented by themselves.
Why Use This Decoder?
Lines are restricted to 76 characters; longer lines use a "soft line break" (an '=' at the end of the line). This tool handles all these nuances automatically, including UTF-8 character sets.
Common Encoding Rules
When decoding Quoted-Printable text, several key rules are applied: bytes are represented as =XX, ASCII characters 33-60 and 62-126 may be literal, and soft breaks are ignored.