Hex Editor (File Viewer)

Upload any binary file and inspect it as a classic hex dump with offset, hex bytes, and ASCII columns (read-only)

Click to upload file or drag and drop file here

Maximum file size: 0MB

Key Facts

Category
Developer & Web
Input Types
file, select, number, checkbox
Output Type
html
Sample Coverage
4
API Ready
Yes

Overview

The Hex Editor (File Viewer) is a read-only binary file inspector that generates a classic hex dump showing offsets, hex bytes, and ASCII representations. It allows developers and security analysts to inspect raw file contents, customize bytes per line, highlight null bytes, and limit display sizes without installing local command-line utilities.

When to Use

  • •When you need to inspect the raw binary structure of a file without executing it or installing local command-line tools.
  • •When debugging file corruption, header mismatches, or unexpected null bytes in application outputs.
  • •When verifying the exact byte sequence, magic numbers, or embedded ASCII strings inside compiled binaries or proprietary formats.

How It Works

  • •Upload any binary or text file using the file input field.
  • •Configure display preferences such as bytes per line, uppercase formatting, and whether to highlight null bytes.
  • •View the generated interactive HTML table displaying the offset, hexadecimal representation, and corresponding ASCII characters.

Use Cases

Checking file headers (magic bytes) to identify unknown or corrupted file types.
Inspecting compiled binaries for embedded plain-text strings or configuration values.
Analyzing network packet captures or raw data payloads saved as binary files.

Examples

1. Verifying PNG File Header Integrity

Web Developer
Background
A developer is troubleshooting an image upload script that rejects certain PNG files as invalid.
Problem
The developer needs to check if the uploaded file has the correct PNG magic bytes (89 50 4E 47 0D 0A 1A 0A) at the very beginning.
How to Use
Upload the problematic PNG file, set 'Bytes Per Line' to 16, and check the first row of the hex output.
Example Config
Bytes Per Line: 16, Max Bytes: 256, Show ASCII: True
Outcome
The developer immediately sees that the file starts with different bytes, indicating it was actually a renamed JPEG file.

2. Locating Null Padding in Binary Firmware

Embedded Systems Engineer
Background
An engineer is analyzing a compiled firmware binary to ensure it is correctly padded with null bytes at the end of a sector.
Problem
Visually scanning thousands of hex characters for '00' sequences is tedious and error-prone.
How to Use
Upload the firmware .bin file, check the 'Highlight Null Bytes (00)' option, and scroll to the end of the dump.
Example Config
Bytes Per Line: 32, Highlight Null Bytes: True, Max Bytes: 65536
Outcome
The null bytes are highlighted in the grid, allowing the engineer to quickly verify the padding boundaries.

Try with Samples

file
Hex/Unicode Encoding Format Samples
Examples of hex (\xXX) and unicode (\uXXXX) escape sequence encoding formats
title token hex
sample
Time Zone Workflow Scheduler ICS Samples
ICS files generated in the same structure returned by the Time Zone Workflow Scheduler, with multiple VEVENT meeting candidates exported from overlap windows
matched family file
file
Camera RAW Photo File Samples
Downloadable sample files covering Sony ARW/SRF/SR2, Canon CR2/CR3/CRW, Adobe DNG, Nikon NEF/NRW, Fuji RAF, Olympus ORF, Panasonic RW2, Leica RAW/DNG, and a generic RAW binary file for testing camera RAW upload workflows.
keywords file,binary
sample
ASS Subtitle Samples
Sample ASS subtitle files from simple to complex for style-aware subtitle parsing, translation, conversion, and localization QA
matched family file
file

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FAQ

Can I edit and save the file back to disk?

No, this is a read-only hex viewer designed for inspecting file contents, not modifying them.

What is the maximum file size I can upload?

You can upload files up to 10 MB, but the display output is limited to a maximum of 512 KB (524,288 bytes) to maintain browser performance.

Does this tool send my file data to a server?

No, the file is processed locally in your browser to ensure your data remains private and secure.

What does the 'Highlight Null Bytes' option do?

It visually highlights '00' bytes in the hex grid, making it easier to spot padding, empty space, or null terminators.

Can I change the layout width of the hex dump?

Yes, you can adjust the 'Bytes Per Line' setting to display 8, 16, 24, or 32 bytes per row.

API Documentation

Request Endpoint

POST /en/api/tools/hex-editor

Request Parameters

Parameter Name Type Required Description
file file (Upload required) Yes -
bytesPerLine select No -
maxBytes number No -
showASCII checkbox No -
uppercaseHex checkbox No -
highlightNull checkbox No -

File type parameters need to be uploaded first via POST /upload/hex-editor to get filePath, then pass filePath to the corresponding file field.

Response Format

{
  "result": "
Processed HTML content
",
  "error": "Error message (optional)",
  "message": "Notification message (optional)",
  "metadata": {
    "key": "value"
  }
}
HTML: HTML

AI MCP Documentation

Add this tool to your MCP server configuration: 

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "elysiatools-hex-editor": {
      "name": "hex-editor",
      "description": "Upload any binary file and inspect it as a classic hex dump with offset, hex bytes, and ASCII columns (read-only)",
      "baseUrl": "https://elysiatools.com/mcp/sse?toolId=hex-editor",
      "command": "",
      "args": [],
      "env": {},
      "isActive": true,
      "type": "sse"
    }
  }
}

You can chain multiple tools, e.g.: `https://elysiatools.com/mcp/sse?toolId=png-to-webp,jpg-to-webp,gif-to-webp`, max 20 tools.

Supports URL file links or Base64 encoding for file parameters.

If you encounter any issues, please contact us at [email protected]