About the Hash Generator
Type or paste any text and get its MD5, SHA-1, SHA-256 and SHA-512 digests side by side, recalculated instantly with every keystroke. Each hash has its own copy button, so grabbing the exact algorithm you need takes one click. It's a quick way to produce checksums for release notes, compare a published hash against a string you have, or generate test fixtures and cache keys for your code.
All four algorithms run locally in your browser, with the SHA family handled by the native Web Crypto API, so whatever you hash — API keys, config snippets, personal notes — never leaves your machine. Remember that a hash is a one-way fingerprint: identical input always produces the identical digest, but a digest can't be reversed back into the original text, which is exactly what makes hashes useful for integrity verification.
Features
- MD5, SHA-1, SHA-256 and SHA-512 computed together
- Hashes update live as you type
- One-click copy for each individual digest
- Full UTF-8 support for any language or emoji
- SHA family computed with the native Web Crypto API
- Runs entirely in your browser — nothing is uploaded
How to generate a hash online
- Paste or type the text you want to hash.
- All four digests appear instantly below the input.
- Pick the algorithm your task requires — SHA-256 for most modern uses.
- Click Copy next to the digest you need.
Frequently asked questions
Which hash algorithm should I use?
Use SHA-256 or SHA-512 for anything security-related — they're the current standards for integrity checks and digital signatures. MD5 and SHA-1 are cryptographically broken, since collisions can be manufactured, but they remain fine for non-security jobs like cache keys, deduplication or matching legacy checksums.
Can I reverse a hash to get the original text?
No. Hashing is one-way by design: the digest is a fixed-size fingerprint that discards information, so no algorithm can reconstruct the input. Attackers can only guess candidate inputs and compare digests, which is why long, unpredictable inputs are effectively impossible to recover from their hash alone.
Why does the same text give a different hash than expected?
Hashes are exact: a single extra space, a trailing newline, different capitalisation or a Windows-versus-Unix line ending produces a completely different digest. If your result doesn't match a published value, compare the inputs byte for byte — invisible whitespace is by far the most common culprit.
Is the text I hash sent to a server?
No. MD5 and SHA-1 are computed with local JavaScript, and SHA-256 and SHA-512 use your browser's built-in Web Crypto API. Nothing you type is transmitted or logged anywhere, so it's safe to hash secrets, tokens and other private text without a second thought.
Can this tool hash files as well as text?
This tool hashes text you paste. For files, use your operating system's built-in commands — certutil -hashfile on Windows, or shasum -a 256 on macOS and Linux — then compare the output against the published checksum. The digests produced here are standard, so results are interchangeable with any other tool.