sha256¶

The sha256 filter calculates and returns the SHA-256 hash of a string. SHA-256 is a cryptographic hash function that generates a unique, fixed-size (256-bit or 32-byte) hash value from an input string. This hash is often used for verifying data integrity, password storage, or digital signatures.

Functionality

Strings: Takes a string as input.
Hashing: Computes the SHA-256 hash of the input string.
Output: Returns a new string representing the hexadecimal representation of the hash value.

Syntax

    {{ input_string | sha256 }}

Arguments

The sha256 filter does not require any arguments.

Code Samples

Example 1: Hashing a Password

    {% assign password = "mysecretpassword" %}
    {{ password | sha256 }}

Output: (The actual output will be a long hexadecimal string like the following)

d6f963e36316781874d487789e791904d42a75497205932c930c35341f880662

Example 2: Verifying Data Integrity

    {% assign original_data = "This is some important data." %}
    {% assign received_data = "This is some important data." %}  
    {% assign original_hash = original_data | sha256 %}
    {% assign received_hash = received_data | sha256 %}

    {% if original_hash == received_hash %}
      Data integrity verified
    {% else %}
      Data has been modified
    {% endif %}

Output:

Data integrity verified

Outliers and Special Cases¶

Empty Strings: If the input string is empty, the sha256 filter still returns a hash value (the hash of an empty string).
Non-String Input: If the input is not a string, the filter might attempt to convert it to a string or return an error, depending on how Experience Builder handles type conversions.

Key Points¶

The sha256 filter is a powerful tool for security and data integrity applications.
SHA-256 hashes are designed to be one-way functions, making it extremely difficult (practically impossible) to reverse the process and obtain the original string from the hash.
This filter is commonly used for:
- Securely storing passwords (never store plain-text passwords).
- Verifying the integrity of data transmitted over networks.
- Generating unique identifiers for data.
The output is a hexadecimal representation of the hash value, so it will always be a string of 64 characters.