About Encoders & Decoders

Base64, URL, HTML, JWT and hex encoding — all in one place

Encoding and decoding are everyday tasks in web development, security work and data engineering. Whether you are embedding an image as a Base64 string inside a CSS file, decoding a URL parameter from a server log, inspecting the payload of a JWT to debug an auth flow, or converting a hex dump back into readable text, the right encoder makes a job that would otherwise take minutes a one-second copy and paste.

ToolsRift hosts 25+ encoder and decoder tools covering the formats engineers and security analysts actually use every day: Base64 (string and file), URL-encoding (both percent-encoding and form-encoding flavors), HTML entity encoding, JWT decoding with header and payload inspection, hexadecimal, binary, octal, ASCII, Unicode escape sequences, and more.

Every tool round-trips perfectly — you can encode, copy the output, paste it back into the decoder, and get the exact original input. There is no lossy compression, no normalization, no silent character substitution.

Why ToolsRift

Why our encoders & decoders are different

Many online encoders are wrappers around server-side scripts, which means your data — sometimes sensitive auth tokens, internal URLs, or PII — is uploaded to a third party every time you click encode. ToolsRift runs everything in your browser. Paste a JWT containing a session token; the decoded payload appears in your browser only and is never logged.

Each tool also explains the format briefly so you know what you are looking at: the JWT decoder labels the header, payload and signature; the Base64 tool clearly shows when padding is added; the URL encoder distinguishes between encodeURI and encodeURIComponent behavior. That extra context saves repeated trips to the docs.

How It Works

How to use encoders & decoders

1
Choose encode or decode
Most tools have a single toggle or two side-by-side panes. Pick the direction — encode (plaintext → encoded) or decode (encoded → plaintext).
2
Paste your input
Drop a string, file or token into the input panel. For file-based Base64, drag a file directly onto the dropzone. For JWT decoding, paste the full three-part token (header.payload.signature).
3
See the result instantly
Output appears live as you type or paste. For JWT, the header and payload are pretty-printed JSON; for hex, output is grouped for readability.
4
Copy or download
One-click copy to clipboard for short outputs, or download longer results as a file. The encoded and decoded versions are both visible so you can compare them side by side.
Use Cases

Who uses encoders & decoders?

From everyday tasks to professional workflows — here are some of the most common ways people use these tools.

›Developers debugging URL parameters and percent-encoded form data
›Security analysts inspecting JWT payloads during pen-tests and auth audits
›Designers embedding small images as Base64 data URIs in CSS or HTML
›Engineers decoding application logs that contain escaped or encoded strings
›API consumers preparing query parameters that contain reserved characters
›Students learning how character encoding, escaping and Unicode work
›QA testers crafting edge-case inputs to test how applications handle special characters
FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Answers to common questions about our encoders & decoders.

Is it safe to paste a real JWT into this tool?+
JWT decoding happens 100% in your browser using JavaScript. The token is never uploaded or logged. That said, JWTs in production environments should still be treated as secrets — use the tool with test or expired tokens whenever possible, and clear the browser tab when finished.
Does the Base64 tool support files?+
Yes. You can drag and drop any file onto the Base64 encoder to get its Base64 representation — useful for embedding small images, fonts or PDFs as data URIs. The reverse decoder accepts Base64 strings and produces a downloadable file.
What's the difference between URL encoding and form encoding?+
URL encoding (percent-encoding) replaces unsafe characters with %XX sequences and is used in query strings. Form encoding additionally replaces spaces with + signs and is used in HTTP form bodies (application/x-www-form-urlencoded). ToolsRift offers both with clear labels.
Why does my decoded JWT show "Invalid signature"?+
The JWT decoder reads the header and payload (which are just Base64-encoded JSON) but cannot verify the signature without the secret or public key. The token might still be perfectly valid — verification requires the issuer's key, which we do not collect.
Can I encode binary data, not just text?+
Yes. Base64 and hex encoders both handle binary input via the file uploader. The output is a printable ASCII string you can safely embed in JSON, XML, HTML or source code.
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