Base32 Encoder / Decoder
Encode text or bytes to Base32, or decode Base32 back — RFC 4648, base32hex, Crockford, and z-base-32, with hex byte I/O and optional padding. Runs entirely in your browser, no server, no sign-up.
What this tool does
Encode any text or bytes to Base32 (RFC 4648 and its common variants), or decode a Base32 string back to the original data — instantly, right in your browser. Nothing is sent to a server: it runs locally, works offline, and needs no sign-up. Pick a Mode, a Variant, and a Data format, then optionally toggle Lowercase or Padding.
Modes
| Mode | What it does |
|---|---|
| encode (default) | Turns your input into a Base32 string — e.g. foobar becomes MZXW6YTBOI======. |
| decode | Reverses it — turns a Base32 string back into the original text or bytes. Decoding is case-insensitive and accepts padded or unpadded input. |
Variants — the alphabet
| Variant | Alphabet | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| standard (default) | RFC 4648 §6 — A–Z and 2–7 | The everyday Base32, used by TOTP secrets, S/KEY, and many file formats. |
| hex | RFC 4648 §7 base32hex — 0–9 and A–V | Sorts in the same order as the raw bytes; used in DNSSEC NSEC3. |
| crockford | 0–9 and A–Z minus the ambiguous I L O U | Human-friendly; case-insensitive; never padded. |
| zbase32 | A permuted, human-oriented alphabet | Designed to be easier to read and type aloud; never padded. |
Data format — text or raw bytes
| Format | When encoding | When decoding |
|---|---|---|
| text (default) | Reads the input as UTF-8 text | Renders the bytes as UTF-8 text (errors if they aren't valid UTF-8) |
| hex | Reads the input as a hex byte string (48 65 6c or 0x48656c) | Renders the decoded bytes as hex — use this for binary data |
Switch to hex whenever your data is binary and not readable text.
Options
- Lowercase — emit a lowercase alphabet when encoding the
standardorhexvariants. (Crockford and z-base-32 have a fixed case; decoding is always case-insensitive.) - Padding — add
=padding when encodingstandard/hex, per RFC 4648. Turn it off for the compact unpadded form. Crockford and z-base-32 are never padded, and decoding accepts either form.
Examples
| Input | Settings | Output |
|---|---|---|
foobar | encode · standard | MZXW6YTBOI====== |
foobar | encode · standard · no padding | MZXW6YTBOI |
foobar | encode · standard · lowercase | mzxw6ytboi |
foo | encode · hex format · data 0x666f6f | MZXW6=== |
MZXW6YTBOI====== | decode · standard | foobar |
foobar | encode · hex (base32hex) | CPNMUOJ1E8====== |
FAQ
Is it free and private?
Yes — your input never leaves your device, and it keeps working offline once the page has loaded.
Which variant do I want?
Use standard unless you have a reason not to — it's the RFC 4648 Base32 that most tools mean by "Base32". Choose hex for DNSSEC/NSEC3 and order-preserving keys, crockford for human-typed IDs, and zbase32 when the string has to be read aloud.
My decoded output looks garbled.
The bytes probably aren't UTF-8 text. Switch the Data format to hex to see the raw bytes.
Does it handle TOTP / 2FA secrets?
Yes — those are standard RFC 4648 Base32. Decode them with the standard variant.
Why does padding sometimes do nothing?
Padding only applies to the
standard and hex variants. Crockford and z-base-32 are defined without
padding, so the toggle is ignored for them.
Developer & Automation Access
Run it from the terminal
Same engine as this page, headless — via the gizza CLI:
gizza tool base32-codec "foobar"New to the CLI? Get gizza →
Open it by URL
Pre-fill and auto-run this tool with query parameters — the names match the API/CLI:
https://gizza.ai/tools/base32-codec/?input=foobar&mode=encode&variant=standard&format=text&lowercase=true&padding=trueMachine-readable descriptor: tool.json — title + parameters JSON Schema for agents.