A SourceGuardian decoder reconstructs readable PHP from supported SourceGuardian-protected programs. For a developer maintaining an inherited project, a WordPress extension, or an application whose original source is unavailable, a browser-based preview offers a practical way to inspect recoverable code before requesting a full result.
AseWeb provides a dedicated SourceGuardian workflow for files you own or are authorized to inspect. This guide covers choosing the correct file, testing a free preview, recovering a project archive, and understanding the limits that matter before you pay.
Upload one protected PHP file to the SourceGuardian decoder online. You can inspect up to 15 formatted lines or 1,500 characters without registering.
When is a SourceGuardian decoder the right choice?
Use the SourceGuardian option when the file was protected with SourceGuardian. Protected wrappers often reference sg_load or an ixed loader. These clues help identify the format, but a name or a matching word is not enough: the uploaded content must contain a recognized protected payload.
Keep the original file extension and upload the original bytes. Copying a protected file through a text editor can change data that the decoder needs. If the file is already normal readable PHP, it does not need decoding. An unrelated binary with a .php name will be rejected.
If the project instead references an ionCube Loader, use the ionCube decoder. The services share a workspace, but each format needs its own parser. Our SourceGuardian file identification guide provides more examples of what to check before uploading.
What the free SourceGuardian preview shows
The preview returns a limited section of reconstructed PHP for a supported file. It applies formatting before counting the visible lines. This helps when an application stores a large configuration array or a long sequence of statements on a single physical line.
The server applies both the line limit and the character limit. A long string cannot expose a complete large file merely because it contains few newline characters. The rest of the reconstructed source is available through a successful full decode in your account.
Use the visible code to check that the output belongs to the file you intended to recover. You may see declarations, a configuration structure, or initial application statements. A limited preview is not a complete application test, and it may end before the function you want to inspect. That is when a full decode is useful.
How to recover SourceGuardian PHP files and ZIP projects
- Test one representative file. Open the dedicated preview and choose SourceGuardian.
- Sign in to your account. The private workspace contains full decode requests, results, and download history.
- Choose a PHP file or project ZIP. Keep nested folders and related project files together when preparing an archive.
- Review the required credits. Archive requests are assessed by their PHP-file count.
- Follow the file results. Review the overall status and individual entries rather than assuming every file in an archive had the same outcome.
- Download and test the reconstructed output. Completed full results include the complete produced source, without the public preview cap.
A ZIP is helpful for a theme, plugin, or application with several protected components. Folder preservation lets you keep track of controller, model, template, and helper files. AseWeb's result list distinguishes decoded files, unchanged entries, and failures where applicable, making it easier to understand what was recovered.
Some files take longer to process than others. If a request is queued, follow the status and displayed estimate in your account. Download completed files when they become available; a pending request and a finished download are different states.
SourceGuardian compatibility: what is actually tested?
SourceGuardian compatibility depends on the stored container, bytecode revision, PHP target, language features, and protection settings. A decoder that recognizes the wrapper still has to reconstruct the program inside it.
The current AseWeb decoder's PHP 7+ profiles span PHP 7.0–7.4 and PHP 8.0–8.5. Its documented verification includes an Encoder 10.1.6 production fixture and a SourceGuardian 17.0.0 Evaluation corpus. Container revisions 18, 23, 33, and 34 are recognized within the tested formats.
The authored PHP 7+ corpus contains 189 programs and 1,743 eligible program/version cases: 1,732 reconstruct and 1,721 match the original runtime behavior. These results describe a tested subset. They do not promise support for every Encoder release, every program, or every combination of protection options.
Legacy PHP 5.4–5.6 support is limited to function-only programs. PHP 5.4 has synthetic parser regressions; PHP 5.5–5.6 also has a legacy production fixture. Legacy class serialization remains outside that profile. See the SourceGuardian decoder page for the scope and coverage evidence.
What can prevent a complete SourceGuardian decode?
Missing external keys, unsupported protection records, damaged uploads, and unverified bytecode layouts can prevent recovery. A file may be genuine SourceGuardian output and still require information that is absent from the upload. Unknown files are rejected rather than treated as supported protected programs.
Include relevant companion files when preparing a project ZIP, but remember that an archive cannot recreate a missing encryption secret. If support asks for additional material, provide the actual dependency from the original application rather than repeatedly submitting the same incomplete file.
Exact original whitespace and comments also depend on what the encoder retained. The goal is readable reconstructed PHP from available program data. A decoder cannot reliably invent removed comments, missing configuration values, or source choices that no longer exist in the protected metadata.
SourceGuardian decoder pricing and downloads
A standard file credit costs $1. Buying more than 100 credits reduces the price to $0.90 per credit. Credits work across the two supported decoders, and the pricing page shows the quote for your selected quantity.
Failed paid requests receive the applicable credit refund. Review the file results and credit activity in your account when a project contains mixed outcomes. The website keeps uploaded and decoded files for seven days, so download your results promptly instead of relying on a permanent file link.
Before using recovered PHP on a live site, check its syntax with the matching PHP version and test it with the application's real dependencies in a separate environment. Recovering source is one step in maintaining an application; production configuration and integration checks are still part of your development work.
SourceGuardian decoder questions
Can I test a SourceGuardian file without signing up?
Yes. The free preview is available without an account. It shows up to 15 formatted lines or 1,500 characters of the reconstructed result.
Can I upload a whole project instead of individual files?
Yes. Use the full-decode workspace for a ZIP request. Preserve the original folder hierarchy and review the required file credits before submitting.
Does a successful preview guarantee every project file will decode?
No. Different files can use different protected layouts, PHP targets, or dependencies. Review each file's result in a complete project request.
Where should I upload an ionCube-protected file?
Use the ionCube decoder preview. Read our ionCube PHP recovery guide for that process.