Kwebby's free web developer tools handle the small jobs that interrupt real work: looking up DNS records, reading HTTP headers, minifying code, encoding strings and converting data between formats. The hub lists 28 tools in five groups, and it says no account is needed. Use them for quick checks beside your editor and browser DevTools. This page explains each group, shows how to chain tools for common tasks and covers the limits of hashing and encoding tools.
Key Takeaways
- Kwebby offers 28 free developer tools in five groups: network and DNS, HTTP and server setup, minifiers, encoders and converters, and data formats.
- Each tool does one job, so you can chain them, for example Server Status Checker then Find DNS Records then Get HTTP Headers.
- The CSS Minifier, JavaScript Minifier and HTML Compressor shrink code, and web.dev says minification and compression add up.
- Encoding is not encryption. Base64 and URL encoding only change how data is written, so they protect nothing.
- MD5 is not suitable for password storage. Use a slow password hashing function such as Argon2id instead.
- Use IP and DNS lookups on your own domains and servers, and never to track a private person.
Network and DNS Tools
These nine tools answer the question "where is this site and is it up?"
- Domain Into IP: Convert a domain name to its IPv4 and IPv6 addresses.
- Find DNS Records: Look up A, AAAA, MX, TXT, NS, CNAME and SOA records.
- Reverse IP Domain Checker: Find other domains hosted on the same IP address.
- Class C IP Checker: Check whether several domains share a Class C IP address.
- Bulk GEO IP Locator: Look up country, city, ISP and coordinates for many IP addresses at once.
- What Is My IP Address: See your public IP address, ISP, location and browser details.
- Server Status Checker: Check if a site is up and see its status code and response time.
- Ping Multiple URLs: Check the status and response time of several URLs at once.
- Network Speed Tester: Test your download speed and latency in your browser.
HTTP and Server Setup Tools
Use these to see what a server sends and to write the rules that control it.
- Get HTTP Headers: Inspect response headers such as server, content type, cache control and cookies.
- Check Gzip Compression: Check whether a site uses Gzip, Brotli or Deflate and see the page size.
- Get Source Code of Webpage: View, copy or download the raw HTML of a page.
- URL Rewriting Tool: Turn friendly URLs into Apache mod_rewrite rules.
- .htaccess Redirect Generator: Build Apache redirect rules for 301 and 302 redirects, WWW to non-WWW and HTTP to HTTPS.
- Nginx Config Generator: Build a server block with HTTPS, reverse proxy, static files, gzip and caching.
Minifier Tools
Minifiers remove whitespace and comments so files download faster.
- HTML Compressor: Strip whitespace, comments and redundant attributes from HTML.
- CSS Minifier: Strip whitespace, comments and redundant code from CSS.
- JavaScript Minifier: Remove whitespace and comments and shorten variable names in JavaScript.
web.dev explains that minification removes unnecessary characters from source code, and that it is an additive optimization on top of gzip or Brotli compression. In a real project, run minification as part of your build and use these tools for quick one-off files.
Encoder and Converter Tools
- URL Encoder / Decoder: Encode or decode URLs and query strings with percent-encoding.
- HTML Encoder / Decoder: Convert characters such as ampersands, angle brackets and quotes to HTML entities and back.
- HTML Character Codes: Search a reference of HTML entities and Unicode symbols, then copy the one you need.
- Binary / Text Converter: Convert binary to text and back, with hex, octal and decimal options.
- Image to Base64: Turn a PNG, JPG, GIF, WebP or SVG file into a Base64 string.
- Base64 to Image: Paste a Base64 string and preview or download the image.
- MD5 & Hash Generator: Generate MD5, SHA-1, SHA-256 and SHA-512 hashes from text.
Data Format and Pattern Tools
- CSV to JSON: Convert CSV to JSON or JSON to CSV with custom delimiters and pretty printing.
- XML to JSON: Convert XML to JSON or JSON back to XML.
- Regex Generator: Build regular expressions for Google Analytics filters, URL patterns and text matching with a visual builder.
Common Developer Tasks and the Tools to Chain
- A site seems down: Run the Server Status Checker, then Find DNS Records to confirm the domain resolves, then Get HTTP Headers to see what the server returns.
- You are moving a site: Write the redirects with the .htaccess Redirect Generator for Apache or the Nginx Config Generator for Nginx. Then trace the chain with the WWW Redirect Checker.
- A page loads slowly: Check compression with Check Gzip Compression, then minify files with the CSS Minifier and JavaScript Minifier, and compress pictures with the Image Optimizer.
- You are moving data between systems: Convert it with CSV to JSON or XML to JSON, then validate a sample before you load all of it.
- A link breaks on special characters: Use the URL Encoder / Decoder to see how the string is written.
Hashing and Encoding Are Not Security
Encoding changes how data looks. It does not hide it. Anyone can decode a Base64 string or a percent-encoded URL, so never use them to protect secrets.
Hashing is a different tool, with limits of its own. OWASP says that fast hashing algorithms such as SHA-256 are not suitable for password storage because they let attackers make large numbers of guesses quickly, and it recommends Argon2id. MD5 and SHA-1 are fast hashes too, so the same reasoning applies. Use the MD5 & Hash Generator to compare file checksums or test examples, never to design password storage.
Use Lookup Tools Responsibly
DNS, IP and reverse IP data describe servers and domains, and that is how to use it: audit your own domains, debug a hosting problem or check who shares your server. Do not use the Reverse IP Domain Checker or Bulk GEO IP Locator to track or profile a private person. IP location results are approximate, so treat them as a hint, not proof.
Related Kwebby Tools
Developers often need SEO checks too. The SEO Tools hub has the Page Speed Checker and Website Reviewer. For writing tasks, see the Text Tools, and for documents, the PDF Tools. The full list lives on the All Tools page.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What are web developer tools?
Web developer tools help you build, test and debug websites. Browser DevTools inspect a live page, while online utilities such as Kwebby's handle one-off jobs like DNS lookups, minifying code and converting data formats.
Is MD5 safe for passwords?
No. MD5 is a fast hash, and fast hashes let attackers test many guesses quickly. OWASP recommends a slow password hashing function such as Argon2id for password storage.
What is the difference between minifying and compressing code?
Minifying rewrites source code with fewer characters, for example by removing whitespace and comments. Compression, such as gzip or Brotli, encodes the file for transfer. web.dev says the two are additive, so use both.
Do Kwebby's developer tools need an account?
No. The hub describes the tools as free, with no account needed. The hub says servers process requests, while the MD5 & Hash Generator page says it works client-side, so read the tool page before you paste sensitive data.
Can I use these tools to check any website?
You can look up public information about any domain, but use that right sensibly. Check your own sites and servers, or sites you have permission to test, and never use IP data to target a person.
Final Thoughts
The best developer tool is the one that answers your question in seconds and gets out of the way. Pick the group that matches your problem, run one tool, read the result and chain the next. For more checks on your site, open the SEO Tools hub or return to the All Tools directory.