Multi-Decoder Pipeline
Chain base64, gzip, url and hex transforms in a single pass.
Overview
The multi-decoder pipeline chains base64, gzip, URL, and hex transforms into a single pass so you can decode (or encode) a payload that has been wrapped in several layers without flipping between tools. Drop your input, drag the stages into the right order, and the pipeline shows the result after each step.
It is built for reverse engineers picking apart obfuscated cookies, security analysts unwrapping phishing payloads, and developers debugging request bodies that have travelled through three encoders before reaching them. A multi-stage decoder pipeline saves the copy-paste tax of running five tools back to back.
How it works
Each stage is a standard, well-specified transform. Base64 follows RFC 4648 — the tool auto-detects URL-safe vs standard alphabets and handles missing padding. Gzip decoding parses the RFC 1952 container and inflates the deflate stream inside per RFC 1951. URL decoding turns %XX escapes back into bytes (RFC 3986). Hex decoding accepts both 0xff and ff forms and ignores common separators (spaces, dashes, colons). Stages can be run in any order and either direction — encode or decode — so you can rebuild a payload as faithfully as you tore it apart.
Examples
Pipeline: base64-decode → gzip-decode
Input: H4sIAAAAAAAA/8tIzcnJVyjPL8pJUVQEABLZbCMNAAAA
Output: Hello World!
Pipeline: url-decode → base64-decode
Input: SGVsbG8lMjBXb3JsZA%3D%3D
Step 1: SGVsbG8 World== (incomplete — see FAQ)
Pipeline: hex-decode → utf-8 view
Input: 48 65 6c 6c 6f
Output: Hello
Pipeline: utf-8 → gzip-encode → base64-encode
Input: "the quick brown fox"
Output: H4sIA... (compressed + base64)
FAQ
How do I know which order to use?
Apply transforms in the reverse order they were applied. Most payloads end up base64-wrapping a compressed JSON string, so a typical decode order is url-decode → base64-decode → gzip-decode → JSON view.
Why does my base64 decode return garbage?
Most likely the input is URL-safe base64 (- and _ instead of + and /) or has missing padding. The tool tries both alphabets and reconstructs padding, but check that the input bytes look like valid base64 first.
Can I encode through the pipeline too?
Yes. Each stage has an encode mode. Set the stages and flip them to "encode" to wrap a payload through the same chain.
Does this work on binary data?
Yes. Intermediate results are byte buffers; only the final view is rendered as text or hex. Binary payloads round-trip cleanly.