HTTP Digest Header Library (@interop/http-digest-header)

JavaScript library (Node.js, browser and React Native) for creating and verifying Digest headers for HTTP Signatures

Table of Contents

• Background
• Install
• Usage
• Contribute
• Commercial Support
• License

Background

FORKED FROM: https://github.com/digitalbazaar/http-digest-header to provide support for React Native and add TypeScript types.

• For React Native use: the expo-crypto peer dependency is required (see Usage in React Native).

Originally, this library was implemented based on the Digest header as mentioned in HTTP Signatures IETF draft.

Since then, the Digest header got its own standards-track spec, at https://tools.ietf.org/html/draft-ietf-httpbis-digest-headers.

This is a library specifically for creating and verifying the Digest: header, for use with HTTP Signatures and similar mechanisms.

It's intended to be isomorphic (for use both in the browser and server-side, with Node.js).

Install

• Browsers and Node.js 24+ supported.
• Web Crypto API required. Older browsers and Node.js 14 must use a polyfill.

To install from npm:

npm install @interop/http-digest-header

To install locally (for development):

git clone https://github.com/interop-alliance/http-digest-header.git
cd http-digest-header
pnpm install

Usage

import * as httpDigest from '@interop/http-digest-header'

const data = `{"hello": "world"}`

const headerValue = await httpDigest.createHeaderValue({
  data,
  algorithm: 'sha256',
  useMultihash: false
})
// -> SHA-256=X48E9qOokqqrvdts8nOJRJN3OWDUoyWxBf7kbu9DBPE=

const dataToVerify1 = `{"hello": "world"}`
const dataToVerify2 = `{"hello": "planet earth"}`

const verifyResult = await httpDigest.verifyHeaderValue({
  data: dataToVerify1,
  headerValue
})
// -> { verified: true }
const verifyResult = await httpDigest.verifyHeaderValue({
  data: dataToVerify2,
  headerValue
})
// -> { verified: false }

Usage in React Native

In React Native, this library's react-native export resolves the digest implementation to one backed by expo-crypto (it imports expo-crypto directly -- no crypto.subtle polyfill or global shim required).

expo-crypto is declared as an (optional) peer dependency, so just make sure it is installed in your app:

npx expo install expo-crypto

If expo-crypto is missing, createHeaderValue / verifyHeaderValue will fail to resolve their digest dependency at bundle time.

Contribute

Please follow the existing code style.

PRs accepted.

If editing the Readme, please conform to the standard-readme specification.

Commercial Support

Commercial support for this library is available upon request from Digital Bazaar: [email protected]

License

BSD-3-Clause © 2019-2025 Digital Bazaar