Base64 Encoder / Decoder
Encode text to Base64 or decode Base64 strings back to plain text.
About the Base64 Encoder/Decoder
Base64 is a way of representing binary or text data using only 64 printable ASCII characters (A–Z, a–z, 0–9, +, /). It's commonly used to safely embed data — like an image, a file, or an API credential — inside text-based formats such as JSON, URLs, HTML, or email, which can't reliably handle raw binary data.
This tool converts plain text to its Base64-encoded form, and decodes Base64 strings back to readable text, entirely in your browser. Developers use it to debug JWT tokens, inspect API payloads, embed small images as data URIs, or decode configuration values without installing a command-line tool.
Worked example
Example: encoding the text 'Hello, World!' produces the Base64 string 'SGVsbG8sIFdvcmxkIQ==' — and decoding that string back returns the original 'Hello, World!' exactly.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Base64 encoding the same as encryption?
- No. Base64 is an encoding scheme, not encryption — it doesn't provide any security or confidentiality. Anyone can decode a Base64 string back to its original value instantly, so never use it to protect sensitive data.
- Why does encoded text sometimes end with '=' signs?
- The '=' characters are padding, added when the input length isn't a multiple of 3 bytes, so the encoded output aligns to Base64's required 4-character blocks. It's a normal part of the format, not an error.
- Can I encode more than plain text, like special characters or emoji?
- Yes — this tool handles Unicode text (including emoji and accented characters) by encoding its UTF-8 byte representation before converting to Base64, so decoding returns the original characters correctly.
- Where is Base64 commonly used in practice?
- Common uses include the payload sections of JWT authentication tokens, embedding small images directly in CSS or HTML via data URIs, encoding email attachments (MIME), and passing binary data through APIs that only accept text.