# Text to Base32 Converter

Encode text to Base32 or decode Base32 back to text with the standard RFC 4648 alphabet of A to Z and 2 to 7. The tool converts your input to UTF-8 bytes, writes groups of eight characters with optional = padding and decodes case-insensitively while ignoring spaces and line breaks. It helps developers handle TOTP secrets, onion addresses, DNS records and file names that need a case-safe encoding.

## Frequently asked questions

### What is Base32?

Base32 is a binary-to-text encoding from RFC 4648 that uses 32 characters: the letters A to Z and the digits 2 to 7. Every 5 bytes become 8 characters, so the output is about 60 percent larger than the input. It avoids lowercase letters and easily confused digits.

### What are the RFC 4648 examples?

f encodes to MY======, fo to MZXQ====, foo to MZXW6===, foob to MZXW6YQ=, fooba to MZXW6YTB and foobar to MZXW6YTBOI======. An empty input stays empty. The tool reproduces all of these.

### What does the padding option do?

With padding on, the encoder adds = signs until the length is a multiple of eight, as RFC 4648 specifies. Many TOTP apps and URLs use Base32 without padding, so turn it off for those. The decoder accepts both forms.

### Is decoding case-sensitive?

No. The decoder accepts uppercase and lowercase letters and ignores spaces, tabs and line breaks. Encoded output is always uppercase.

### Why is my Base32 input rejected?

Only A to Z, 2 to 7 and trailing = signs are valid. The digits 0, 1, 8 and 9 are not part of the alphabet, and lengths that cannot come from whole bytes, such as one, three or six characters in the last group, are rejected.

### Can I decode a TOTP secret with this tool?

You can decode it, but TOTP secrets are random bytes, not text. The tool then reports that the result is not valid UTF-8 text, because it only shows decoded data that is readable text.

### How are non-ASCII characters handled?

Text is encoded as UTF-8 before conversion, so letters such as é or emoji take two to four bytes each. Decoding turns the bytes back into the same text.

### Is this the same as Base32hex or Crockford Base32?

No. Base32hex uses the digits 0 to 9 and the letters A to V, and Crockford's variant drops I, L, O and U. This tool uses the standard RFC 4648 alphabet only.

### Does Base32 encrypt my data?

No. Base32 is an encoding that anyone can reverse. It changes how data looks, not who can read it.

### How much text can I convert?

Up to 5 MiB of text per request. The conversion runs on the server and the input is not stored.

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