Base64 Encoding & Decoding Tool

Enter Text or Base64 String:

Paste any text to encode or Base64 string to decode

Quick Examples

👋 Simple Text

Hello World!

Click to encode this text

🔤 Base64 String

SGVsbG8gV29ybGQh

Click to decode this Base64

📄 JSON Data

{"name":"John","age":30}

Encode JSON for API transmission

🔐 Encoded Credentials

dXNlcm5hbWU6cGFzc3dvcmQ=

Basic auth credentials example

Understanding Base64 Encoding

Base64 is a binary-to-text encoding scheme that converts binary data into ASCII text format. It's widely used in web development, email systems, and data transmission to safely transfer binary data over text-based protocols.

Why Use Base64 Encoding?

📧 Email Attachments

Safely transmit binary files via email systems

🌐 Web Data URLs

Embed images and files directly in HTML/CSS

🔑 API Authentication

Basic authentication in HTTP headers

📤 Data Transmission

Send binary data over text-only protocols

How Base64 Works

Character Set

A-Z, a-z, 0-9, +, / (64 characters total)

Plus padding character = when needed

Encoding Process

Convert binary data to 6-bit chunks, map to Base64 characters

Size Increase

Encoded data is ~33% larger than original

Padding

Uses = characters to ensure proper length alignment

Common Use Cases

**HTTP Basic Authentication** - Encoding username:password credentials
**Data URLs** - Embedding images, fonts, and files in CSS/HTML
**Email Attachments** - MIME encoding for binary file transmission
**JSON Web Tokens (JWT)** - Encoding token headers and payloads
**API Data Transfer** - Sending binary data through REST APIs
**Configuration Files** - Storing binary data in text-based configs

Security Considerations

⚠️ Important Note

Base64 is NOT encryption! It's encoding for data representation. Anyone can decode Base64 strings, so never use it for sensitive data without proper encryption.

Best Practices

Validate Input

Always validate Base64 strings before decoding

Handle Errors

Implement proper error handling for malformed strings

Consider Alternatives

For large files, consider binary transfer methods

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Base64 the same as encryption?

No! Base64 is encoding, not encryption. It's easily reversible and provides no security. Use proper encryption (like AES) for sensitive data protection.

Why does my encoded data end with = signs?

The = characters are padding to ensure the encoded string length is a multiple of 4. This is required by the Base64 specification.

Can I encode binary files with this tool?

This tool is optimized for text data. For binary files, you'll need specialized tools or libraries that can handle file uploads and binary data processing.

Is this tool secure for sensitive data?

Yes, all encoding/decoding happens in your browser - no data is sent to our servers. However, remember that Base64 is not encryption and can be easily decoded.