Encode and decode data using Base32 (RFC 4648) with standard and hex alphabets.
This tool converts between plain text and Base32, the 32-character encoding defined in RFC 4648. Paste text into the encode field to get its Base32 form, or paste Base32 into the decode field to recover the original text. The common surprise is that Base32 output is case-insensitive (the alphabet uses A-Z and 2-7), so 'MZXW6===' and 'mzxw6===' decode identically. Also, padding with '=' is optional but often expected.
A concrete input and expected output from the current implementation.
Input
Hello
Expected output
JBSWY3DP
The ASCII bytes of 'Hello' (48 65 6C 6C 6F) are grouped into 5-bit chunks, each mapped to a Base32 character. The resulting 8 characters are 'JBSWY3DP' with no padding needed because the input length is a multiple of 5 bytes.
The tool takes each character of your input, converts it to its byte value (UTF-8), and concatenates those bytes into a bit stream. It then splits that stream into groups of 5 bits, each group becoming an index into the Base32 alphabet (A-Z then 2-7). If the final group has fewer than 5 bits, zero bits are appended and '=' padding is added to make the total length a multiple of 8.
For decoding, the tool maps each Base32 character back to its 5-bit value, ignoring whitespace and treating lowercase letters as uppercase. It concatenates those bits, then splits them into 8-bit bytes. If padding '=' is present, it signals that the last byte is incomplete, and the tool strips the extra bits. The resulting bytes are interpreted as UTF-8 text.
That usually means the input was not valid Base32, or you used the wrong alphabet or padding. Base32 only uses letters A-Z and digits 2-7 (or 0-9 and A-V for hex). If the string has other characters, the tool may ignore them or fail. Also ensure the text is not URL-encoded; decode that first.
No. Base32 uses a 32-character alphabet and produces output about 60% larger than the original, while Base64 uses 64 characters and is about 33% larger. Base32 is often used where case-insensitivity or avoiding similar-looking characters (like 0/O, 1/I) matters, such as in verification codes. This tool only does Base32; use a separate Base64 tool for that.
The example and behavioral notes were checked against the browser implementation. Standards and primary references below define the relevant format, formula, or platform behavior.
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