# Base32 Encoder/Decoder

> Encode text to Base32 and decode Base32 strings back. RFC 4648 alphabet, UTF-8 safe.

URL: https://uttir.com/base32-encoder-decoder
Categories: encoding-tools, developer-tools
Privacy: Encoding and decoding happen entirely in your browser.

## About

Base32 represents binary data using a 32-character alphabet (A–Z and 2–7) defined in RFC 4648. It is common for TOTP secrets, case-insensitive identifiers, and short tokens where Base64 is too dense to be human-readable.

This tool encodes UTF-8 text to a Base32 string with = padding, and decodes Base32 back to text. It rejects any input that contains characters outside the standard alphabet.

## How to use

1. **Choose direction** — Switch between Encode and Decode with the toggle.
2. **Paste input** — The output updates as you type.
3. **Copy the result** — One click to copy the encoded or decoded value.

## Examples

### Encode "foobar"

A canonical RFC 4648 test vector.

Output:

```
MZXW6YTBOI======
```

### Decode a TOTP secret

Most TOTP secrets are stored as Base32.

Output:

```
JBSWY3DPEHPK3PXP
```

## FAQ

### What is the difference between Base32 and Base64?

Base32 uses a 32-character uppercase alphabet (A–Z, 2–7) and is case-insensitive. Base64 uses a 64-character mixed-case alphabet and is about 8% more compact. Base32 is preferred when humans may need to read or retype the value.

### Is this safe to use for production secrets?

For one-off encoding and decoding, yes. For storing secrets long-term, prefer your platform’s native secret manager. Anything pasted here is processed only inside your browser — no network requests are made.

### When is Base32 used?

Where Base64's character set is a problem: case-insensitive systems, URLs, filesystems, and human-typed codes. Base32 uses only A-Z and 2-7, which is easier to read, type, and process in those environments.

## Related tools

- [Base64 Encoder](https://uttir.com/base64-encoder) — Encode any text — including emoji and non-Latin scripts — into standard Base64.
- [Base64 Decoder](https://uttir.com/base64-decoder) — Decode Base64 back into readable text, with clear errors for malformed input.
- [Hash Generator](https://uttir.com/hash-generator) — Generate MD5, SHA-1, SHA-256, and SHA-512 hashes of any text instantly.

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For the full HTML page with the live tool, visit https://uttir.com/base32-encoder-decoder.
This file is the markdown rendering at https://uttir.com/base32-encoder-decoder.md. See https://uttir.com/llms.txt for a site-wide summary.