Compress text
Compress text with gzip and get the result as a Base64 string that you can copy anywhere. The note shows how much shorter it got.
How it works
-
Paste your text
Paste the text, or the code you want to convert back.
-
Converted straight away
The tool compresses with gzip and writes the result as Base64 code, or turns such a code back into text.
-
Copy or download
You see straight away how much shorter the text has become.
How it works
Your text is compressed with gzip using your browser's built-in compression, then written as Base64 so it stays plain text. Tick URL-safe to use - and _ and drop the = padding, so the result can go straight into a link or a query parameter.
Compression only helps with text of a few hundred characters or more, and works best on repetitive text. A very short text can even get longer, and the note tells you when that happens.
Getting it back
Paste the result into decompress text. Everything happens in your browser; nothing is uploaded. Note that compression isn't encryption; to protect the text with a password, use encrypt text.
Frequently asked questions
Is the compress text free?
Yes. The compress text is completely free, with no account, sign-up or usage limit.
Is any information lost?
No. Gzip is lossless: after decompressing you get exactly the same text back, down to the last space.
Can I open the code without this site?
Yes. It is plain gzip in Base64. On a Mac or Linux, for example, this works: echo "code" | base64 -d | gunzip
Why does my text get longer?
Base64 and the gzip header together take up some space. For short texts that is more than the saving; from a few hundred characters the code gets shorter, especially for text with a lot of repetition.
Is my text stored?
No. Compression happens in your browser; nothing goes to a server.