PASETO Token Decoder

Platform-Agnostic Security Tokens (v1-v4) - 100% Client-Side

About PASETO

Why use PASETO instead of JWT?

PASETO (Platform-Agnostic Security Tokens) was designed to solve JWT's cryptographic agility flaws. Unlike JWTs, which allow the header to dictate the hashing algorithm (leading to algorithm confusion attacks), PASETO enforces strict versioning (e.g., v2, v4) mapping to specific, modern cryptographic suites that cannot be downgraded.

Can I decode PASETO v4 tokens?

Yes. Our decoder locally parses the payload of all PASETO versions, including v4 public and local tokens. For 'public' tokens, you can see the JSON claims immediately. for 'local' tokens, the payload is symmetrically encrypted using XChaCha20-Poly1305, meaning you can see the footer but need the secret key to view the claims.

Are PASETO tokens encrypted or just signed?

It depends on the purpose. Tokens with the '.public' suffix are digitally signed (using Ed25519 for v2/v4), meaning the data is visible but tamper-proof. Tokens with the '.local' suffix are authenticated encryption (using AES или XChaCha20), meaning the data is hidden from everyone except the key holders.

Engineering Guides

Master This Tool

Deep-dive guides and tutorials for advanced users.

PASETO in Production: 5 Critical Security Best Practices

Deploying PASETO to production? Discover 5 critical security guidelines for key isolation, version enforcement, using implicit assertions, and setting up secure token rotation.

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JWT to PASETO v4 Migration Guide

A complete migration blueprint for developers transitioning from JWT to PASETO v4. Learn how to replace symmetric HS256 and asymmetric RS256 implementations with secure-by-default versioned tokens.

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PASETO Explained: How It Actually Works Under the Hood

An in-depth guide explaining how PASETO (Platform-Agnostic Security Tokens) works. Dive into version-locked cryptography, symmetric local encryption, asymmetric public signatures, and visual flowcharts.

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The Ultimate PASETO Tutorial: Implementing v4 Tokens in Node.js

A complete step-by-step guide to implementing PASETO v4 in Node.js. Learn how to generate keys, sign public tokens, encrypt local tokens, and write robust authentication middleware.

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How to Safely Decode PASETO Tokens Offline

Pasting production authentication tokens into online web decoders is a dangerous security liability. Learn why local, offline decoding is the industry standard for developer security.

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PASETO vs JWT: 2026 Cryptographic Hardening

A technical deep-dive into why modern architectures are abandoning JWT for the deterministic security of PASETO v4. Analyze latency, memory usage, and algorithm confusion.

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The Death of LocalStorage: Why Enterprise Apps Use Cookies

LocalStorage is an architectural liability. Learn why modern Next.js apps use HttpOnly cookies to prevent XSS token theft and secure account takeovers.

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2026 Developer Manifesto: AI-Native & RSC Stack

A technical guide to navigating the shift from legacy web patterns to the era of React Server Components (RSC) and LLM-driven application logic.

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JWT vs Session: 2026 Guide to Scalable Auth

Compare stateless JWT vs stateful sessions for 2026. Analyze latency, memory consumption, and security risks like CSRF, XSS, and token revocation.

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