Hash Generator

How It Works

A hash function takes any input and produces a fixed-length fingerprint: SHA-256 always gives 64 hexadecimal characters, SHA-384 gives 96, and SHA-512 gives 128, no matter whether the input is one letter or a whole novel. The same input always produces the same hash, but changing one character produces a completely different result — and a hash cannot be reversed to reveal the original text. Those three properties make hashes the standard tool for checking that data has not been changed.

This generator uses the Web Crypto API built into your browser, the same implementation behind secure web browsing, so the results match the official SHA-2 test vectors exactly. All three hashes are computed at once from the UTF-8 bytes of your text, so accented letters and emojis hash the same way as in any other correct implementation. Your text never leaves your device, so you can safely hash passwords, API keys or private notes.

Worked Example

Hash the text abc and the SHA-256 result is ba7816bf8f01cfea414140de5dae2223b00361a396177a9cb410ff61f20015ad — a well-known test vector you can check against any reference. Hash abc with SHA-512 and you get a 128-character fingerprint instead. Change the input to abd and the SHA-256 hash becomes completely different, even though only the last letter changed.

How to Use This Tool

Type or paste your text into the box and press Generate Hashes. All three hashes appear below, each labelled with its algorithm, along with the length of each fingerprint. Use Copy All Hashes to copy the three results at once. To verify a download, compare the hash with the published value — an exact match means the data is intact.

Tips and Practical Advice

• Compare the whole hash, not the first few characters. Two different inputs can share a short prefix by chance.
• Watch out for invisible differences. A trailing space or a different line ending changes the hash, so compare inputs character for character when a checksum does not match.
• Do not store passwords as plain SHA-256. Fast hashes are easy to brute-force; real password storage uses slow, salted functions such as bcrypt or Argon2.
• Pick SHA-256 for everyday checks. It is the most widely published checksum format; SHA-512 is the choice when a longer fingerprint is required.