Base64 Encoder/Decoder
Encode and decode Base64 strings
Base64 Encoder/Decoder
About Base64
Base64 is an encoding scheme that converts binary data into an ASCII string format. It's commonly used for encoding data in email, URLs, and web applications. Note that Base64 is encoding, not encryption - it doesn't provide security.
Your Privacy is Protected
All processing happens entirely in your browser. No data is stored, transmitted, or tracked. Your information remains completely private and secure on your device.
About Base64 Encoder/Decoder
Encode and decode Base64 strings instantly with our comprehensive Base64 encoder/decoder tool. Base64 is a binary-to-text encoding scheme that represents binary data in ASCII string format, essential for transmitting data over media designed to handle text. Used extensively in email attachments, data URIs, JSON Web Tokens (JWT), API authentication, embedding images in HTML/CSS, and encoding binary data for safe transmission. Our tool provides bidirectional conversion - encode plain text to Base64 or decode Base64 strings back to readable text. Perfect for developers working with APIs, system administrators debugging encoded data, security professionals analyzing tokens, and anyone needing to work with Base64-encoded information. The tool handles UTF-8 encoding correctly, preserves all characters including special symbols and emojis, and provides instant results with error detection for invalid Base64 input.
Key Features
Bidirectional Conversion
Both encode text to Base64 AND decode Base64 to text in one tool. Switch between encoding and decoding modes seamlessly.
UTF-8 Support
Correctly handles UTF-8 encoding, supporting all Unicode characters including emojis, accented letters, and special symbols from any language.
Real-Time Processing
Instant encoding and decoding as you type. See results immediately without clicking extra buttons or waiting for processing.
Error Detection
Automatically detects invalid Base64 strings when decoding. Provides clear error messages to help troubleshoot encoding issues.
Multiline Support
Handle large texts, paragraphs, and documents. No character limits - encode or decode as much text as you need.
URL-Safe Base64 Option
Support for URL-safe Base64 encoding (using - and _ instead of + and /) for use in URLs and file names where standard Base64 characters might cause issues.
One-Click Copy
Copy encoded or decoded results to clipboard with a single click. Streamlines workflows requiring frequent Base64 operations.
How to Use Base64 Encoder/Decoder
Select Mode
Select whether you want to Encode or Decode using the mode selector at the top of the tool.
Input Text for Encoding
For Encoding: Paste or type plain text in the input area. The tool supports UTF-8 including emojis and special characters.
Input Base64 for Decoding
For Decoding: Paste the Base64 string you want to decode into the input field.
View Result
View the instant result displayed below - encoded Base64 string or decoded plain text. Results appear automatically as you type.
Copy Result
Click the copy button to copy the result to your clipboard for use in your application or workflow.
Handle Errors
If decoding fails, check for invalid characters or corrupted Base64 data. The tool will show an error message for invalid input.
Use URL-Safe Option
Use the URL-safe option if encoding data for URLs or file names where standard Base64 characters might cause issues.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Base64 encoding and why is it used?
Base64 encoding converts binary data into ASCII text using 64 printable characters (A-Z, a-z, 0-9, +, /). It's used because some systems and protocols only safely handle text, not binary data. Base64 ensures data integrity when transmitting over text-based protocols like email, JSON, and XML. The trade-off is that Base64-encoded data is about 33% larger than the original.
Is Base64 encryption or encoding?
Base64 is encoding, NOT encryption. Anyone can decode Base64 - it provides zero security or protection. It's purely for data format conversion. Never use Base64 alone for sensitive data protection. For security, use actual encryption (like AES) before Base64 encoding if needed for transport.
Why does my encoded text look random?
Base64 encoding converts each 3 bytes of input into 4 ASCII characters using a specific alphabet (A-Za-z0-9+/). The result looks random because it's representing binary patterns as text characters. This is normal and expected behavior for Base64 encoding.
What does the = symbol mean in Base64 strings?
The equals sign (=) is padding used when the input length isn't divisible by 3. Base64 works with 3-byte chunks. If the last chunk is incomplete, = symbols pad the output to maintain proper length. You might see =, ==, or no padding at the end of Base64 strings. Padding can sometimes be omitted.
What is URL-safe Base64?
Standard Base64 uses + and / characters, which have special meaning in URLs. URL-safe Base64 replaces + with - (minus) and / with _ (underscore). This variant is safe for URLs, file names, and contexts where + and / would cause issues. Some systems automatically use URL-safe Base64 for web contexts.
Can Base64 decode any random string?
No. Only valid Base64 strings can be decoded. Valid Base64 contains only characters from the Base64 alphabet (A-Za-z0-9+/ or URL-safe variant) and optional padding (=). If you try to decode invalid strings, our tool will show an error. Invalid characters or incorrect structure will prevent decoding.
Does Base64 support special characters and emojis?
Yes! Our tool uses UTF-8 encoding before Base64 conversion, so it handles all Unicode characters including emojis (😀), accented letters (é, ñ, ü), and symbols from any language. The text is first converted to UTF-8 bytes, then those bytes are Base64-encoded.
Why is my Base64 string so much longer than the original?
Base64 encoding increases size by approximately 33%. Every 3 bytes of input becomes 4 bytes of output. This overhead is the cost of converting binary data to text-safe format. For example, 300 bytes of data becomes about 400 bytes when Base64-encoded. This is normal and expected.
Use Cases
- API Development and Testing: Encode credentials for Basic Authentication headers, decode API responses containing Base64 data, test JWT tokens by decoding their payload, and debug API issues involving encoded data.
- Data URI Image Embedding: Create data URIs for embedding small images directly in HTML, CSS, or JavaScript. While our tool focuses on text, understanding Base64 is essential for data URI workflows.
- Email and File Attachments: Email systems use Base64 to encode attachments for safe transmission. Decode email attachment data, understand MIME encoding, and troubleshoot email delivery issues.
- JSON Web Tokens (JWT): JWT tokens consist of Base64-encoded header and payload sections. Decode JWTs to inspect claims, verify token structure, and debug authentication issues without external libraries.
- Configuration and Secrets Management: Many configuration systems store sensitive data as Base64-encoded strings. Encode secrets for config files and decode configuration values for verification and troubleshooting.