Overview
Use it when the format needs to change, not the meaning
Use the decoder when a compact token needs to be inspected, verified, or shared as readable JSON.
Third-party token review
Inspect claims before wiring a provider into your workflow.
Auth debugging
Check whether the token still verifies with the shared secret.
Safe handoffs
Copy decoded header and payload data into tickets without retyping it.
Supported inputs
Bring clean source text and keep the direction straight
- Accepts compact JWTs with three Base64URL segments.
- HMAC verification supports HS256, HS384, and HS512.
- Time claims such as `exp`, `nbf`, and `iat` are shown as Unix seconds.
Walk through it
Follow the same sequence you see in the tool
Workflow
Decode a token
Use this path when you need to inspect the header and payload.
- Paste the JWT in compact form.
- Run the decoder to show the header and payload as readable JSON.
- Review the claims before you share or copy anything.
Workflow
Verify a signature
Use this path when you have the shared secret and want to confirm authenticity.
- Enter the shared secret if the token uses HMAC signing.
- Run verification against the same compact token.
- Check the signature status and compare the algorithm before trusting the claims.
What you get
Check the result before you copy it into the next step
Decoded header
The header shows the token algorithm and related metadata.
Decoded payload
The payload shows claims in readable JSON so you can review them quickly.
Verification status
The signature result tells you whether the shared secret matched.
Avoid these mistakes
Small input problems create the biggest conversion errors
Bearer prefix left in place
Paste the compact token itself instead of the full authorization header.
Wrong shared secret
A valid decode can still fail verification if the secret does not match.
Decoded claims treated as trusted
Check verification before you rely on any claim values.
Glossary
Decode the terms before you act on them
This section translates the most technical labels on the page into plain language so you can interpret the output without opening another tab.
JWT
JWT stands for JSON Web Token. It is a compact string format that carries header, payload, and signature data.
Claim
A claim is one field inside the token payload, such as a subject, audience, role, or expiration time.
HMAC
HMAC is a shared-secret signing method. Verification only succeeds when both sides use the same secret and algorithm.
exp
`exp` is the expiration claim. It tells clients and servers when the token should stop being accepted.
nbf
`nbf` stands for not before. It means the token should not be treated as valid before that time.
iat
`iat` stands for issued at. It records when the token was created.