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Encoding & Number Bases

Hex Content Encoder

Represent selected bytes as pipe-delimited hex groups within text. Choose special characters or all bytes for a content-string fragment.

Tool workspace

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Input

Add your source and choose the required options.

Options

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Direct answer

What Hex Content Encoder does

Hex Content Encoder replaces selected bytes with hexadecimal groups enclosed in pipe characters. This mixed representation appears in Snort content strings. With Only special chars selected, foo=bar becomes foo|3d|bar.

Output

What you receive

The result combines unchanged text with pipe-delimited hexadecimal groups. The Convert option controls which bytes become hex.

Common questions

Answers about Hex Content Encoder

How do I encode Snort content with mixed text and hex?

Enter the input and choose which characters to convert. The output encloses converted byte groups in vertical bars. For example, the default treatment turns foo=bar into foo|3d|bar.

How do I include spaces in hexadecimal groups?

Choose Only special chars including spaces to encode input spaces. Print spaces between bytes controls formatting inside hexadecimal groups. These settings serve different purposes: one selects bytes, while the other separates their written values.

Can I paste the output as a complete Snort rule?

No. The output represents content bytes rather than a complete detection rule. You still need the surrounding rule structure and valid options. Check the complete rule against the intended traffic and rule engine.

Use this tool

How to use Hex Content Encoder

  1. Enter the text you want to represent as mixed content.
  2. Choose Convert: Only special chars, Only special chars including spaces, or All chars.
  3. Choose whether to print spaces between bytes, then review the generated groups.

Processing

Browser processing

This tool processes its input in your browser. Your files and text stay on your device.

Common uses

Where Hex Content Encoder fits

  • Inspect a small mixed ASCII and hexadecimal content example.
  • Compare literal text with its pipe-delimited byte representation.
  • Prepare a content-string fragment for review in a separate rule-writing workflow.

Limits

Check before you use the result

  • This tool handles content-string fragments. It does not parse or validate complete Snort rules.
  • Plain hex without pipe delimiters remains literal text in Hex Content Decoder. Use the separate Hex Decoder for that format.
  • The decoder uses permissive matching. Unmatched text can pass through unchanged; a completed result does not certify valid rule syntax.
  • A byte sequence does not identify its character encoding. Decimal byte output is not a Unicode code-point list.

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