Key Facts
- Category
- Security
- Input Types
- text, checkbox
- Output Type
- text
- Sample Coverage
- 4
- API Ready
- Yes
Overview
The JWT Decoder is a secure, browser-based utility that allows you to instantly inspect the contents of JSON Web Tokens. By pasting your encoded string, you can view the header, payload, and signature components in a readable format without sending data to a server.
When to Use
- •Debugging authentication issues in web applications.
- •Verifying the claims and expiration time within a token.
- •Inspecting token structure during API development.
How It Works
- •Paste your encoded JWT string into the input field.
- •Select your display preferences to show or hide the header, payload, or signature.
- •The tool automatically decodes the Base64Url-encoded segments and displays the JSON structure.
Use Cases
Examples
1. Debugging Expired Sessions
Frontend Developer- Background
- A user is being logged out prematurely from a web application.
- Problem
- The developer needs to check the 'exp' (expiration) claim inside the JWT to see if the token is expiring earlier than expected.
- How to Use
- Paste the JWT from the browser's local storage into the decoder and check the 'Show Payload' option.
- Outcome
- The developer identifies that the 'exp' timestamp is set to a past date, confirming the issue lies with the token generation logic.
2. Verifying User Claims
Backend Engineer- Background
- An API is failing to authorize a user despite them being logged in.
- Problem
- The engineer needs to verify if the 'roles' or 'permissions' array is correctly included in the token payload.
- How to Use
- Input the token into the decoder and inspect the JSON payload section.
- Outcome
- The engineer discovers the 'roles' field is missing from the payload, indicating a configuration error in the authentication service.
Try with Samples
jsonRelated Hubs
FAQ
Is my token data sent to a server?
No, all decoding happens locally in your browser. Your data never leaves your device.
Can this tool verify if a token is valid?
This tool decodes the content for inspection but does not perform cryptographic signature verification.
What parts of the JWT can I view?
You can view the header, the payload (claims), and the signature, depending on your selected display settings.
Does this work with expired tokens?
Yes, the decoder will display the contents of any validly formatted JWT, regardless of its expiration status.
Is the signature decoded or verified?
The signature is displayed as a raw string; this tool does not validate the signature against a secret key.