Base64 Encoder/Decoder
Encode plain text to Base64 or decode Base64 strings back to their original text. Handles UTF-8 characters correctly.
What is Base64 Encoding?
Base64 is a binary-to-text encoding scheme that represents binary data in an ASCII string format. It's commonly used in web development, email transmission, and data storage where binary data needs to be transmitted over media designed to handle text.
How Does Base64 Work?
Base64 encoding converts binary data into a text string by dividing the data into 6-bit chunks and mapping each chunk to one of 64 printable ASCII characters (A-Z, a-z, 0-9, +, /). When the input isn't divisible by 3 bytes, padding characters (=) are added to make the output length a multiple of 4.
Common Use Cases
- Email Attachments: MIME uses Base64 to encode binary files for email transmission
- Data URLs: Embedding images and files directly in HTML/CSS using data URIs
- API Communication: Transmitting binary data through JSON APIs
- Authentication: Basic HTTP authentication encodes credentials in Base64
- Configuration Files: Storing binary data in text-based config files
Features of Our Base64 Tool
- UTF-8 Support: Correctly handles international characters and emojis
- Client-Side Processing: Your data never leaves your browser for maximum privacy
- Instant Results: Real-time encoding and decoding with error handling
- Copy to Clipboard: One-click copying of results for easy use
- Mobile Friendly: Works perfectly on all devices and screen sizes
Base64 Example
Original Text: Hello, World! 🌍
Base64 Encoded: SGVsbG8sIFdvcmxkISA8NA==
Security Note: Base64 is not encryption—it's just encoding. Anyone can decode Base64 text, so never use it to protect sensitive information. For security, use proper encryption methods.