About the Hash Generator
The SHA hash generator calculates SHA-256, SHA-384, or SHA-512 digests for text using the browser Web Crypto API. It produces a deterministic hexadecimal fingerprint without sending the source text to a server.
How to use this tool
Enter the exact text to hash, choose an algorithm, and generate the digest. Whitespace, capitalization, line endings, and character encoding all affect the result, so preserve the original input exactly when comparing hashes from two systems. This tool encodes text as UTF-8 before hashing. To verify a published checksum for a downloaded file, use a file-aware hashing program instead of pasting displayed file contents.
How to read the result
The same bytes and algorithm always produce the same digest. SHA-256 output contains 64 hexadecimal characters, SHA-384 contains 96, and SHA-512 contains 128. A one-character input change should produce a very different result. Matching hashes provide strong evidence that inputs are identical, but a bare digest does not identify who created the input or when it was produced.
Limits and privacy
Cryptographic hashes are one-way fingerprints, not encryption, but fast general-purpose SHA algorithms are not suitable by themselves for password storage. Password systems need a salted, deliberately expensive password-hashing function such as Argon2, scrypt, or bcrypt. This tool hashes UTF-8 text rather than uploaded files and does not create HMAC signatures. Input and digest generation remain local to the browser.
Common questions
- Can a SHA hash be decrypted?
- No direct decryption operation exists because hashing is one-way. Weak or predictable inputs can still be guessed by hashing candidates and comparing results.
- Should I store passwords with SHA-256?
- Not by itself. Use a password-specific algorithm with a unique salt and an appropriate work factor.