How to Generate Cryptographic Hashes
Hash Generation
When to Hash Data
Hashes produce a fixed-size fingerprint of input data. Use them for checksums, deduplication keys, cache keys, and verifying file integrity — not for storing passwords (use bcrypt or Argon2 instead).
Algorithm Guide
- SHA-256 — default choice for most checksums and fingerprints
- SHA-512 — longer output, same family as SHA-256
- SHA-1 — legacy; avoid for security-sensitive use
- MD5 — legacy checksums only; not collision-resistant
Frequently asked questions
Is hashing done locally?
Yes. All hash computation runs in your browser using the Web Crypto API (or a small MD5 library). Nothing is sent to a server.
Why is my hash different from another tool?
Hashes are sensitive to exact input bytes. Differences in trailing newlines, encoding (UTF-8 vs Latin-1), or uppercase hex output can cause mismatches.