jwt-decode (CLI)

Decode and inspect a JWT from your terminal — header, claims, and human-readable expiry. Zero dependencies.

The safe alternative to pasting tokens into jwt.io: this runs entirely locally, so your token never leaves your machine.

Installs the jwt-decode command. (npm package name is jwt-decode-cli because jwt-decode is an existing library.)

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Install

npm install -g jwt-decode-cli

Or without installing:

npx jwt-decode-cli <token>

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Usage

jwt-decode eyJhbGciOiJ...           # Decode a token
jwt-decode -f token.txt             # Read from a file
echo "$TOKEN" | jwt-decode -        # From stdin / clipboard
jwt-decode "$TOKEN" --payload       # Just the claims (JSON)
jwt-decode "$TOKEN" --json          # Full header+payload as JSON

A leading Bearer (as copied from an Authorization header) is stripped automatically.

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Example Output

jwt-decode

  Header
    alg                   "HS256"
    typ                   "JWT"

  Payload
    sub                   "1234567890"          subject
    name                  "Alice"               name
    iat                   1716200000  → 2024-05-20T10:13:20.000Z   3d ago
    exp                   1716203600  → 2024-05-20T11:13:20.000Z   EXPIRED 3d ago

  Signature
    present               SflKxwRJSMeKKF2QT4fw…   43 chars
    not verified — this tool only decodes

  ● Token is EXPIRED

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What It Shows

• Header — algorithm and type, with a warning if alg=none (unsigned).
• Payload — every claim, with standard claims annotated (iss, sub, aud, …).
• Time claims — exp, iat, nbf are converted to ISO timestamps and a relative time (expires in 2h, EXPIRED 3d ago).
• Signature — whether one is present and how long it is.
• Validity — a one-line verdict: valid window / expired / not-yet-valid.

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⚠ Decode ≠ Verify

This tool decodes a token — it does not verify the signature. Anyone can craft a token with any claims. Never make authorization decisions based on an unverified token; always verify the signature server-side with your secret/public key.

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Options

Flag	Description
-f, --file <path>	Read the token from a file
--json	Output header + payload as JSON
--payload	Print only the payload
--header	Print only the header
--raw	No color or annotations

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License

MIT

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Keywords

jwt decoder · decode jwt · jwt.io alternative · inspect token · jwt offline · bearer token · json web token · token expiry · zero dependencies · cli

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Built to solve, shared to help — Rushabh Shah 🛠️✨

_{One of 40+ zero-dependency developer CLI tools — no node_modules, ever.}