Overview
Introduction
Text copied from code or a config file often still carries its surrounding quotes and escaping.
This tool strips both in one step.
What Is String Unquoter?
An unquoting tool that removes a matching pair of double or single quotes and decodes any escape sequences inside, the reverse of Quote a String.
It runs entirely client-side as part of this site's String Tools collection, so nothing you paste is ever uploaded to a server.
How String Unquoter Works
Double-quoted input is parsed with JSON.parse() (resolving escapes per the JSON string grammar); single-quoted input has \' sequences resolved manually, since JSON doesn't recognize single quotes.
The transformation happens synchronously in JavaScript the moment you type, with no network round trip involved.
When To Use String Unquoter
Use it when you've copied a quoted string literal from code or config and want just the underlying text.
It's also useful for cleaning up quoted values pasted from a spreadsheet or log.
Often used alongside String Quoter and JSON String Decoder.
Features
Advantages
- Handles both double- and single-quote conventions.
- Properly resolves escape sequences rather than just stripping the outer characters.
Limitations
- Requires a genuinely matching pair of quotes at both ends; partial or mismatched quoting is rejected.
- Double-quoted input must be valid per JSON's escaping rules.
Examples
Best Practices & Notes
Best Practices
- If unquoting fails, check for mismatched quote characters at the start and end.
- Use Quote a String to verify round-trip fidelity.
Developer Notes
Double-quoted input reuses JSON.parse() for correctness, while single-quoted input is handled with a targeted \\' replacement, since JSON has no single-quote string syntax to delegate to.
String Unquoter Use Cases
- Extracting the real value from a quoted string literal
- Cleaning up quoted text copied from a log or spreadsheet
- Verifying a quote/unquote round trip
Common Mistakes
- Passing text with mismatched quote characters at each end.
- Expecting non-JSON escape sequences inside double quotes to resolve correctly.
Tips
- If double-quoted parsing fails, check for a stray unescaped quote inside the text.