Encode text to Base64 or decode Base64 back to text.
Whether you are debugging an API, embedding images in CSS, or analyzing email headers, Base64 is a fundamental part of the web. Our Base64 Encoder / Decoder offers a fast, client-side solution to translate text and data into this universal format and back again.
Base64 is a binary-to-text encoding scheme. It is designed to carry data stored in binary formats (like images or executables) across channels that only reliably support text content (like email bodies or JSON payloads).
It works by taking binary data and translating it into a set of 64 printable characters: A-Z, a-z, 0-9, +, and /. This ensures that the data remains intact during transport, without being corrupted by systems that might misinterpret binary bits as control characters.
⚠️ Important Security Note
Base64 is NOT encryption. It is an encoding. Anyone who finds a Base64 string can easily decode it back to the original text. Never use Base64 alone to hide passwords, credit card numbers, or sensitive secrets.
Our tool features a simple, dual-mode interface:
SGVsbG8gV29ybGQ=) into the input box.Why do developers use Base64 so frequently? Here are the top scenarios:
Instead of loading a small icon as a separate file request, web developers often encode the image as Base64 and embed it directly into the CSS file. This speeds up page load times by reducing HTTP requests.
When logging into many APIs, you send your username:password combined string encoded in Base64 in the HTTP Authorization header.
Email protocols were originally designed for text only. To send a PDF or photo, the email client encodes the file in Base64 (MIME) so it can travel safely through email servers.
Some web apps encode complex JSON state objects into a Base64 string to store them in a URL query parameter or a cookie.
If you've ever seen a Base64 string ending in = or ==, that is called padding.
Base64 encodes data in 24-bit chunks (3 bytes). If the original data isn't divisible by 3, padding characters (`=`) are added to the end to make the length a multiple of 4 characters. This is a requirement of the standard.
Also, our tool fully supports UTF-8. This means you can encode text containing emojis (😊), foreign languages (你好), or special symbols without them breaking.
Yes. Base64 encoding increases the data size by approximately 33%. This is because it uses 4 ASCII characters to represent every 3 bytes of original data. It is a trade-off for compatibility.
Yes. All processing happens client-side in your browser using JavaScript's `btoa()` and `atob()` functions. Your data is never sent to our servers.
This specific tool is optimized for text. If you want to convert an image file to Base64, please use our specialized "Image to Base64" or "Base64 to Image" tools.
Standard Base64 uses `+` and `/`, which have special meanings in URLs. "URL Safe" Base64 replaces these with `-` and `_` so the string can be put directly into a web address without breaking it.
Base64 is an essential tool in the modern developer's toolkit. Whether you are formatting authentication headers or debugging complex data structures, our Base64 Encoder / Decoder provides a quick, reliable, and secure way to handle your data translations instantly.