Protobuf Decoder
Decode protobuf wire format hex bytes into readable field structure. Shows field numbers, wire types, varints, strings, nested messages, and raw hex. Code never leaves your device — formatting and validation run locally in your browser.
How to Use the Protobuf Decoder
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is protobuf wire format?
Protocol Buffers (protobuf) serializes structured data into binary. Each field is encoded as a tag (field number + wire type) followed by the value. Wire types: 0=varint, 1=64-bit, 2=length-delimited (strings, nested messages), 5=32-bit.
How do I find protobuf hex to decode?
Capture network traffic with browser DevTools or Wireshark, then copy the hex bytes from the request/response body. gRPC and HTTP/2 APIs commonly use protobuf encoding.
What does 'field 1 (string): "bob"' mean?
Field number 1 contains a length-delimited string value 'bob'. The tag byte encodes both the field number (1) and wire type (2 = length-delimited).
Can this decode nested protobuf messages?
Yes. Length-delimited fields that contain valid protobuf structure are recursively decoded, showing nested fields indented under their parent.
Does this need a .proto schema file?
No. This decodes the raw wire format without a schema. Field names are shown as numbers — to get meaningful names, you'd need the .proto definition.
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Last updated October 2026