How to get the SHA-256 hash of text
- Paste or type your text into Input.
- The 64-character SHA-256 hash appears in Hash as you type.
- Turn on Hash each line to hash a list, one SHA-256 per line. To verify a download, click Open and paste its published SHA-256 into Expected hash.
Where SHA-256 is used
SHA-256 is the default hash in modern software. Linux distributions and app developers publish SHA-256 checksums for their downloads, package managers use it to verify what they install, and APIs from cloud providers sign requests with HMAC-SHA256. It’s also the hash behind Bitcoin mining and most digital certificates.
Checking a download
To confirm a file matches its published SHA-256, hash the file on your own computer: certutil -hashfile file.iso SHA256 on Windows, or shasum -a 256 file.iso on macOS and Linux. Then compare it with the published one. Checking the first and last eight characters catches almost every mismatch, but compare all 64 to be sure.