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.