Base64 Encoder / Decoder

How to Use the Base64 Encoder / Decoder

1. Enter the text you want to encode, or the Base64 string you want to decode, in the input box.

2. Click Encode to Base64 to convert plain text to Base64 format.

3. Or click Decode from Base64 to convert a Base64 string back to plain text.

4. Click Copy to copy the result to your clipboard.

What is Base64 Encoding?

Base64 is an encoding scheme that converts binary data into a text string using 64 printable ASCII characters. It is not a form of encryption — it does not secure data, it simply represents it in a different format. Base64 is commonly used to embed binary data (such as images, fonts, or files) into text-based formats like HTML, CSS, JSON, and email.

Common Uses of Base64

• Embedding images in CSS/HTML: Inline images as data URIs to reduce HTTP requests.
• API authentication: Basic Auth headers encode credentials as Base64 (e.g., username:password).
• Email attachments (MIME): Email protocols encode binary attachments as Base64 for transmission.
• JWT tokens: JSON Web Tokens use Base64url encoding for their header and payload.
• Data URIs: Fonts and other binary assets can be embedded directly into CSS files.

Base64 vs Base64url

Standard Base64 uses + and / characters which are not URL-safe. Base64url replaces these with - and _ respectively, making it safe for use in URLs and filenames. JWT tokens use Base64url encoding.