How can I decode HTML characters in C#?

I have email addresses encoded with HTML character entities. Is there anything in .NET that can convert them to plain strings?


You can use HttpUtility.HtmlDecode

If you are using .NET 4.0+ you can also use WebUtility.HtmlDecode which does not require an extra assembly reference as it is available in the System.Net namespace.


On .Net 4.0:

System.Net.WebUtility.HtmlDecode()

No need to include assembly for a C# project


As @CQ says, you need to use HttpUtility.HtmlDecode, but it's not available in a non-ASP .NET project by default.

For a non-ASP .NET application, you need to add a reference to System.Web.dll. Right-click your project in Solution Explorer, select "Add Reference", then browse the list for System.Web.dll.

Now that the reference is added, you should be able to access the method using the fully-qualified name System.Web.HttpUtility.HtmlDecode or insert a using statement for System.Web to make things easier.