Glossary · Proof and provenance
SHA-256
The hash function that turns any input into a fixed 256-bit digest, such that changing one byte of the input changes the digest unpredictably and no two different inputs are known to share one.
What SHA-256 means
The hash function that turns any input into a fixed 256-bit digest, such that changing one byte of the input changes the digest unpredictably and no two different inputs are known to share one. A published digest commits to a record's exact bytes without publishing the record.
What SHA-256 can and cannot support
| It can support | It cannot support |
|---|---|
| The hash function that turns any input into a fixed 256-bit digest, such that changing one byte of the input changes the digest unpredictably and no two different inputs are known to share one. | A published digest commits to a record's exact bytes without publishing the record. |
Where SHA-256 comes up on this site
- How to read a CrawlCheck report: the grade, the three stages, the fix list and the evidenceEvidence holds the transcript of every machine-file fetch (status, content type, bytes, edge cache state), the report’s SHA-256 digest and how to cite it.
- Our proofs said “pending” for 26 days. The anchoring was fine.Across all twenty-six files the operation chain used only three instructions: append, prepend and SHA-256.
- AI text watermarks only work if the model's provider opted inEvery report this scanner produces is reduced to its measurements — host, timestamp, section scores, every path and status fetched, every crawler identity and what it received — canonicalised, hashed with SHA-256, and each day’s digests are combined into a…
- CRLF corruption: a save that returned success and rewrote every newlineRead-back then matched the source byte for byte, and the SHA-256 of both agreed.
Related terms in Proof and provenance
Showing a record existed at a date without asking anyone to trust us.
OpenTimestamps · anchoring · Content hash · Manifest tampering · C2PA · CAWG training and data mining assertion · content-addressed storage · Merkle tree · daily seal · byline · dateline · trust center
Questions about SHA-256
What is SHA-256?
The hash function that turns any input into a fixed 256-bit digest, such that changing one byte of the input changes the digest unpredictably and no two different inputs are known to share one.
What does SHA-256 not show or guarantee?
A published digest commits to a record's exact bytes without publishing the record.
Which area of the glossary does SHA-256 belong to?
Proof and provenance: Showing a record existed at a date without asking anyone to trust us.
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See it in the full glossary · 668 terms across 19 areas.