PHP Serialized String Examples

Examples of PHP serialized strings for arrays, strings, booleans, nulls, and nested values.

PHP serialized strings encode type, length, and value. Reading the pattern helps when debugging stored payloads.

Examples

serialize('test'); // s:4:"test";
serialize(true);   // b:1;
serialize(null);   // N;

Array example:

serialize(['name' => 'Ada']);
// a:1:{s:4:"name";s:3:"Ada";}

Serialized string lengths count bytes. Manual edits can break payloads when lengths are not updated.

What does s:4 mean?

It means a string with a byte length of 4.

Why did my edited serialized string break?

String lengths must match the exact byte length of the stored text.

Convert simple JSON values into PHP serialized strings for testing and debugging.

Decode simple PHP serialized strings into readable structured data directly in your browser.

View PHP serialized data as an indented tree for debugging nested arrays and objects.

What PHP unserialize does, where serialized data appears, and how to avoid unsafe usage.