SHA-3/256 generator

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Create a SHA3-256 hash online from any text or file. This SHA3-256 generator returns a fixed 256-bit digest as a 64-character hexadecimal string. It’s ideal for file integrity checks, API signatures, content addressing, and modern cryptography research. Typical needs include SHA3-256 checksum verification, SHA3-256 hash of a string, and calculate SHA3-256 of a file online.

What is SHA3-256?

SHA3-256 belongs to the SHA-3 family (FIPS 202). Unlike SHA-2, SHA-3 uses the sponge construction with Keccak permutations, providing strong security properties and resistance to length-extension attacks. The output is always 256 bits (64 hex chars). Note that Keccak-256 and SHA3-256 use different padding; their digests are not interchangeable.

How to use the SHA3-256 Generator

  1. Enter text or upload a file to hash.
  2. Click Generate to compute the SHA3-256 digest.
  3. Copy the 64-character hex output and compare it with a published checksum or store it for verification.

When should you use it?

  • Integrity checks: Publish/verify a SHA3-256 checksum for releases, images, and backups.
  • API & signatures: Use as the digest for digital signatures or request signing where SHA3-256 is required.
  • Content addressing: Create deterministic identifiers for files, blobs, or assets.
  • Research & compliance: Compare SHA-2 vs. SHA-3 behavior in modern security workflows.

Who is this for?

  • Developers generating secure checksums and signature inputs.
  • DevOps & QA teams validating artifacts across environments.
  • Security practitioners standardizing on SHA-3 primitives.
  • Students & researchers studying sponge-based hashing.

Best practices & caveats

  • Passwords: Don’t store raw SHA3-256 of passwords. Use a KDF such as Argon2, bcrypt, or PBKDF2 with salt and cost factors.
  • Exact bytes matter: Encoding (UTF-8 vs UTF-16), hidden whitespace, and line endings (\n vs \r\n) change the hash.
  • HMAC for authenticity: Use HMAC-SHA3-256 when you need integrity and authenticity (a secret key).
  • Keccak vs SHA-3: If a system expects Keccak-256 (e.g., some blockchain tools), do not substitute SHA3-256.

Examples

SHA3-256 of a string

Input:  "hello world"
Output: 644bcc7e564373040999aac89e7622f3ca71fba1d972fd94a31c3bfbf24e3938

SHA3-256 of a file (command-line references)

# OpenSSL 3+ (macOS/Linux/Windows)
openssl dgst -sha3-256 /path/to/file

# Python (any OS)
python - <<'PY'
import hashlib, sys
with open(sys.argv[1], 'rb') as f:
    print(hashlib.sha3_256(f.read()).hexdigest())
PY /path/to/file

# Node.js (OpenSSL 3-enabled builds)
node -e "const fs=require('fs'),c=require('crypto');\
console.log(c.createHash('sha3-256').update(fs.readFileSync(process.argv[1])).digest('hex'))" /path/to/file

FAQ

Is SHA3-256 secure?

Yes—for integrity and signing workflows. SHA3-256 is a modern, standardized hash. For passwords, always use a dedicated KDF.

Can I decrypt a SHA3-256 hash?

No. Hashes are one-way. “Decryption” sites only match against precomputed databases (rainbow tables).

Why doesn’t my digest match the publisher’s?

Verify you hashed the exact same bytes: check encoding, newline differences, hidden characters, and ensure you didn’t hash a compressed wrapper instead of the raw file.

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