Utilities

JWT Inspector

Decode any JWT and actually verify its signature — locally.

Paste a JSON Web Token, see what's inside, and — unlike the web-based decoders — verify the signature without your token ever leaving your Mac.

Decorative animation of JWT Inspector. Step-by-step instructions follow in the text below.

Decode a token

  1. Open JWT Inspector.
  2. Paste the token (the long xxxxx.yyyyy.zzzzz string).
  3. Instantly you get:
    • Header — algorithm and token type
    • Payload — every claim in a readable table, plus an interactive JSON tree
    • Standard claims explained: exp (expiry), iat (issued at), sub (subject), and friends, with human-readable dates
  4. Expired token? You'll see it flagged — no more mentally converting Unix timestamps.

Verify the signature

Decoding ≠ verifying, and this matters:

Decoded is not verified

Anyone can decode a JWT — the payload is just encoded, not encrypted. What proves a token is genuine is the signature. A token that decodes fine can still be forged. Never trust a JWT you haven't verified.

For HS256-signed tokens:

  1. Paste your secret into the verification field.
  2. The app recomputes the signature and compares — a real cryptographic check, done locally.
  3. ✓ valid means this token was signed with that secret. ✗ means it wasn't (or the token was tampered with).

Your token and secret stay in the app. Nothing is sent anywhere — worth remembering next time someone pastes a production JWT into a random website.

Copy pieces out

Header, payload, or any individual claim — one click copies it as JSON.