Octal Converter
Turn text into octal codes or read octal back as text. Choose spaces or backslash escapes and optional zero-padding, then copy the output. Each byte becomes a value from 0 to 377. It runs in your browser.
This octal converter runs both ways: as a text to octal encoder it turns each UTF-8 byte into its base-8 value, and as an octal to text decoder it reads those codes back into characters. Output can be plain space-separated numbers or backslash escapes like \101, the form you see inside C and shell strings. Toggle zero-padding when you want every code to be three digits. Nothing is sent anywhere — the octal encoder runs entirely in your browser.
How it works
- 1
Pick the direction
Choose Text → Octal to encode or Octal → Text to decode. Output recalculates on every keystroke.
- 2
Set the style
When encoding, switch between space-separated codes and \ escapes, and turn on three-digit padding if you need it.
- 3
Copy or download
Copy the octal codes or the decoded text, or save it as a file.
Instant & 100% private — nothing is uploaded
Everything runs locally in your browser. Your code, text and files are processed on your own device and are never sent to a server — so there are no upload waits, no size limits from us, and nothing is ever stored or logged.
Frequently asked questions
- What is octal?
- Octal is base 8, using digits 0 through 7. One byte fits in three octal digits (0 to 377), which is why octal shows up in file permissions and older string escapes.
- How do I convert text to octal?
- Type in the Text → Octal mode. Each character is encoded as UTF-8 bytes, and every byte is shown as its octal value with the separator you chose.
- What are the backslash escapes for?
- The \ooo form, like \101 for “A”, is how many languages embed a byte in a string literal. Pick that separator when you want output you can paste straight into code.
- Why can a code not go above 377?
- 377 in octal is 255 in decimal, the largest value a single byte holds. Anything higher would not fit one byte, so the decoder flags it instead of wrapping.
- Does this run privately?
- Yes. Both text to octal and octal to text are computed in your browser, so nothing you enter is uploaded.
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