Salt Generator
Salt Generator FAQ
What is a cryptographic salt?
A salt is a random string added to passwords before hashing, making them harder to crack with precomputed attacks like rainbow tables.
Why use a salt?
Salts ensure that even if two users have the same password, their hashes will differ, improving security against attacks.
Which format should I use, hex or base64?
Both are common encodings. Hex is simple and readable, while Base64 is more compact. The choice depends on your system’s requirements.
How long should a salt be?
A good salt is typically 16–32 bytes. This tool lets you pick between 8 and 64 bytes dynamically.
Is a salt the same as a password?
No. A salt is not secret like a password. It’s stored alongside the hash and simply ensures uniqueness during hashing.
Can salts be reused?
No, each password should have its own unique salt. Reusing salts reduces effectiveness against attacks.
What is a Salt?
In cryptography, a salt is a random string of data added to a password before hashing. Salts ensure that identical passwords result in different hash outputs, significantly improving security by preventing attackers from using precomputed hash databases, such as rainbow tables.
Salts are not secret and are usually stored in plain text alongside the hash in a database. Their purpose is to introduce uniqueness into the hashing process. For example, if two users choose the same password, their salted hashes will differ, making it much harder for attackers to exploit.
A strong cryptographic system typically uses salts of 16 to 32 bytes, though larger sizes further increase complexity. While salts don’t replace strong hashing algorithms like bcrypt, Argon2, or PBKDF2, they are an essential layer of password protection. This tool allows you to instantly generate salts in HEX or Base64 format, entirely client-side for maximum privacy and convenience.