diff --git a/tools/inspector_protocol/encoding/encoding.h b/tools/inspector_protocol/encoding/encoding.h
index 14432484d55b9d..a1bcfc4be3db4a 100644
--- a/tools/inspector_protocol/encoding/encoding.h
+++ b/tools/inspector_protocol/encoding/encoding.h
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 #ifndef V8_INSPECTOR_PROTOCOL_ENCODING_ENCODING_H_
 #define V8_INSPECTOR_PROTOCOL_ENCODING_ENCODING_H_
 
+#include <algorithm>
 #include <cstddef>
 #include <cstdint>
 #include <cstring>
@@ -14,6 +15,19 @@
 #include <vector>
 
 namespace v8_inspector_protocol_encoding {
+// This library is designed to be portable. The only allowed dependency
+// are the C/C++ standard libraries, up to C++11. We support both 32 bit
+// and 64 architectures.
+//
+// Types used below:
+// uint8_t: a byte, e.g. for raw bytes or UTF8 characters
+// uint16_t: two bytes, e.g. for UTF16 characters
+// For input parameters:
+//   span<uint8_t>: pointer to bytes and length
+//   span<uint16_t>: pointer to UTF16 chars and length
+// For output parameters:
+//   std::vector<uint8_t> - Owned segment of bytes / utf8 characters and length.
+//   std::string - Same, for compatibility, even though char is signed.
 
 // =============================================================================
 // span - sequence of bytes
@@ -72,6 +86,22 @@ inline span<uint8_t> SpanFrom(const std::string& v) {
   return span<uint8_t>(reinterpret_cast<const uint8_t*>(v.data()), v.size());
 }
 
+// Less than / equality comparison functions for sorting / searching for byte
+// spans. These are similar to absl::string_view's < and == operators.
+inline bool SpanLessThan(span<uint8_t> x, span<uint8_t> y) noexcept {
+  auto min_size = std::min(x.size(), y.size());
+  const int r = min_size == 0 ? 0 : memcmp(x.data(), y.data(), min_size);
+  return (r < 0) || (r == 0 && x.size() < y.size());
+}
+
+inline bool SpanEquals(span<uint8_t> x, span<uint8_t> y) noexcept {
+  auto len = x.size();
+  if (len != y.size())
+    return false;
+  return x.data() == y.data() || len == 0 ||
+         std::memcmp(x.data(), y.data(), len) == 0;
+}
+
 // =============================================================================
 // Status and Error codes
 // =============================================================================
diff --git a/tools/inspector_protocol/encoding/encoding_test.cc b/tools/inspector_protocol/encoding/encoding_test.cc
index 554aa1b2cbaedb..f6b40dfcefe2df 100644
--- a/tools/inspector_protocol/encoding/encoding_test.cc
+++ b/tools/inspector_protocol/encoding/encoding_test.cc
@@ -121,6 +121,28 @@ TEST(SpanFromTest, FromConstCharAndLiteral) {
   EXPECT_EQ(3u, SpanFrom("foo").size());
 }
 
+TEST(SpanComparisons, ByteWiseLexicographicalOrder) {
+  // Compare the empty span.
+  EXPECT_FALSE(SpanLessThan(span<uint8_t>(), span<uint8_t>()));
+  EXPECT_TRUE(SpanEquals(span<uint8_t>(), span<uint8_t>()));
+
+  // Compare message with itself.
+  std::string msg = "Hello, world";
+  EXPECT_FALSE(SpanLessThan(SpanFrom(msg), SpanFrom(msg)));
+  EXPECT_TRUE(SpanEquals(SpanFrom(msg), SpanFrom(msg)));
+
+  // Compare message and copy.
+  EXPECT_FALSE(SpanLessThan(SpanFrom(msg), SpanFrom(std::string(msg))));
+  EXPECT_TRUE(SpanEquals(SpanFrom(msg), SpanFrom(std::string(msg))));
+
+  // Compare two messages. |lesser_msg| < |msg| because of the first
+  // byte ('A' < 'H').
+  std::string lesser_msg = "A lesser message.";
+  EXPECT_TRUE(SpanLessThan(SpanFrom(lesser_msg), SpanFrom(msg)));
+  EXPECT_FALSE(SpanLessThan(SpanFrom(msg), SpanFrom(lesser_msg)));
+  EXPECT_FALSE(SpanEquals(SpanFrom(msg), SpanFrom(lesser_msg)));
+}
+
 // =============================================================================
 // Status and Error codes
 // =============================================================================
diff --git a/tools/inspector_protocol/lib/encoding_h.template b/tools/inspector_protocol/lib/encoding_h.template
index 4d9874bfbd5cb4..2601192e160543 100644
--- a/tools/inspector_protocol/lib/encoding_h.template
+++ b/tools/inspector_protocol/lib/encoding_h.template
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 #ifndef {{"_".join(config.protocol.namespace)}}_encoding_h
 #define {{"_".join(config.protocol.namespace)}}_encoding_h
 
+#include <algorithm>
 #include <cstddef>
 #include <cstdint>
 #include <cstring>
@@ -23,6 +24,19 @@ namespace {{namespace}} {
 
 // ===== encoding/encoding.h =====
 
+// This library is designed to be portable. The only allowed dependency
+// are the C/C++ standard libraries, up to C++11. We support both 32 bit
+// and 64 architectures.
+//
+// Types used below:
+// uint8_t: a byte, e.g. for raw bytes or UTF8 characters
+// uint16_t: two bytes, e.g. for UTF16 characters
+// For input parameters:
+//   span<uint8_t>: pointer to bytes and length
+//   span<uint16_t>: pointer to UTF16 chars and length
+// For output parameters:
+//   std::vector<uint8_t> - Owned segment of bytes / utf8 characters and length.
+//   std::string - Same, for compatibility, even though char is signed.
 
 // =============================================================================
 // span - sequence of bytes
@@ -81,6 +95,22 @@ inline span<uint8_t> SpanFrom(const std::string& v) {
   return span<uint8_t>(reinterpret_cast<const uint8_t*>(v.data()), v.size());
 }
 
+// Less than / equality comparison functions for sorting / searching for byte
+// spans. These are similar to absl::string_view's < and == operators.
+inline bool SpanLessThan(span<uint8_t> x, span<uint8_t> y) noexcept {
+  auto min_size = std::min(x.size(), y.size());
+  const int r = min_size == 0 ? 0 : memcmp(x.data(), y.data(), min_size);
+  return (r < 0) || (r == 0 && x.size() < y.size());
+}
+
+inline bool SpanEquals(span<uint8_t> x, span<uint8_t> y) noexcept {
+  auto len = x.size();
+  if (len != y.size())
+    return false;
+  return x.data() == y.data() || len == 0 ||
+         std::memcmp(x.data(), y.data(), len) == 0;
+}
+
 // =============================================================================
 // Status and Error codes
 // =============================================================================