ROT13 Encoder & Decoder

Free ROT13 encoder and decoder. Shift every letter by 13 places so the same operation encodes and decodes text. Case and punctuation are preserved. Runs entirely in your browser, no data uploaded.

Enter text above.

How rot13 encoder & decoder works

ROT13 ('rotate by 13 places') is a Caesar cipher with a fixed shift of 13. Because the English alphabet has 26 letters, shifting by 13 twice returns the original text, so the exact same operation both encodes and decodes — there is no separate decrypt step. A becomes N, B becomes O, M becomes Z, and N wraps back to A.

The tool shifts only letters, preserving upper and lower case, and leaves digits, punctuation, spaces, and other characters untouched. ROT13 is not encryption: it provides no confidentiality and is trivially reversed, so it is used only to obscure text in plain sight.

ROT13's most common use is hiding spoilers, punchlines, and answers online (newsgroups, forums, puzzle sites) so a reader has to deliberately decode it before reading the content. It is also a classic teaching example for substitution ciphers and frequency analysis. All processing happens in your browser.

Frequently asked questions

Is ROT13 encryption?
No. ROT13 is a Caesar shift of 13, not real encryption. It has no key and is its own inverse, so anyone can reverse it instantly. Use it only to obscure spoilers and puzzles, never to protect sensitive information.
Why does applying ROT13 twice give back the original?
Because 13 is exactly half of 26 (the alphabet size). Shifting forward by 13 twice is a total shift of 26, which wraps all the way around the alphabet back to the starting letter.
How do I decode ROT13?
Apply ROT13 again — encode and decode are the same operation. Paste the ROT13 text into this tool and click Convert; the output is the original plaintext.
Does ROT13 affect numbers and punctuation?
No. Only letters A-Z and a-z are rotated. Digits, punctuation, spaces, and symbols pass through unchanged, which is why ROT13 text stays roughly readable in structure.