Base64 Encoder/Decoder

Encode plain text to Base64 or decode Base64 back to readable text instantly.

What Is a Base64 Encoder/Decoder?

Base64 is a text-safe encoding that lets you represent binary or special characters using only letters, numbers, and a few symbols. It is widely used in APIs, data URLs, and configuration files.

How It Works

Paste your text to encode it into Base64, or paste a Base64 string to decode it back into readable text. Everything runs locally in your browser.

Benefits

  • Instant encoding and decoding with one click
  • Private: nothing is uploaded or stored
  • Clean output ready to copy and paste

Common Use Cases

  • Embedding images or SVGs into CSS and HTML
  • Sending binary-safe values in APIs or webhooks
  • Testing HTTP Basic Auth headers

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Base64 encryption? No. Base64 is an encoding format, not encryption.

Why does Base64 end with = signs? The equals sign is padding used to keep the output length in groups of four.

Is my data uploaded? No. Everything runs locally in your browser.

Can I decode any Base64 string? It must be valid Base64 or decoding will fail.

Related Tools

When to use Base64 encoding

Base64 is a safe way to transmit binary or special-character data inside text-only systems. It is commonly used in API payloads, data URLs, email attachments, and configuration files where raw binary is not allowed.

Common Base64 mistakes to avoid

  • Base64 is not encryption. It is reversible and should not be used to protect secrets.
  • Extra line breaks can corrupt output. Keep the encoded string on one line.
  • Make sure text uses UTF-8 before encoding to avoid garbled characters.

Example use cases

Encode a small JSON payload for a data URL, generate a Basic Auth header, or decode Base64 strings from logs. For related tasks, try the URL Encoder/Decoder, JSON Formatter, or the SHA256 Generator.