Tool
What the PBKDF2 Hash Generator does
PBKDF2 Hash Generator: generates Status, Derived key (hex) and PHC string from Password, Salt (leave blank for a random 16-byte salt) and Iterations.
The PBKDF2 Hash Generator takes Password, Salt (leave blank for a random 16-byte salt), Iterations and Hash and returns Status, Derived key (hex) and PHC string. Enter what you need and trigger it when you are ready.
Typical users are people rotating an API key. Randomness quality matters here in a way it does not for most tools.
There is no account, no upload and no server round trip, because the page does the work itself.
Further down the page: what each field expects, how the result is derived, and one example worked from the defaults.
What do the PBKDF2 Hash Generator fields mean?
The PBKDF2 Hash Generator uses 5 inputs. Each input has a default that makes sense on its own, so a partial edit still gives a valid result.
| Field | What to enter | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Password | required | hunter2 |
| Salt (leave blank for a random 16-byte salt) | optional | none |
| Iterations | accepts 1000 to 5000000 | 600000 |
| Hash | choose from SHA-256, SHA-512 or SHA-1 (legacy) | SHA-256 |
| Derived key length (bytes) | accepts 16 to 64 | 32 |
How does the PBKDF2 Hash Generator work?
Each output is derived from the inputs above in a single pass; there is no hidden state carried between runs, so the same inputs always give the same generated output.
Checks happen up front, so errors surface next to the form instead of hiding in the output.
What a typical run looks like
You provide: Password, Salt (leave blank for a random 16-byte salt), Iterations, Hash and Derived key length (bytes)
What happens: the file is read into memory by your browser, processed locally, and offered back as a download. It is never uploaded.
You get back: the result as a file you can save, with a one-line summary beside it.
Nothing queues behind a server, so the wait is your device working, and the size limit is set by memory rather than by an upload cap.
Read next: How Hashing Works: MD5, SHA-1, SHA-256 and Why Two Are Broken
How to use it
- Put Password.
- Key in Salt (leave blank for a random 16-byte salt).
- Fill in Iterations (1000 to 5000000).
- Pick a value for Hash: the options are SHA-256, SHA-512 or SHA-1 (legacy).
- Enter Derived key length (bytes) (16 to 64).
- Press Derive.
- The results panel then shows Status, Derived key (hex) and PHC string.
- Copy Link is the quickest way to send the exact scenario to someone else.
What this tool does not do
- Randomness comes from your browser cryptographic source, which is suitable for real secrets.
- Randomness comes from your browser's cryptographic random source, which is suitable for passwords and keys.
- There is no audit trail: if you need one, record the inputs alongside the output.
- Check that each figure is in the unit the label asks for; that is the most common source of a wrong result.
Frequently asked questions
5 things: Password, Salt (leave blank for a random 16-byte salt), Iterations, Hash and Derived key length (bytes). Nothing starts empty, which means a single edit is enough to get a meaningful answer.
Iterations accepts 1000 to 5000000. Values outside that range are rejected with a message naming the field, rather than producing something that looks valid but is not.
It never leaves the tab. The page does the work itself rather than asking a server to.
Nothing at all. There is no registration, no paywall and no per-use quota.
It implements the published definition directly, without shortcuts or approximations.