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Base64 Encode / Decode

Encode plain text to Base64 or decode Base64 strings back to readable text in real time. Supports full UTF-8 characters and URL-safe formatting.

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Need to convert an image file into a Base64 Data URI? Try our Image to Base64 Converter .

What is Base64 Encoding?

Base64 is a binary-to-text encoding scheme that represents binary data in an ASCII string format by translating it into a radix-64 representation. The Base64 character set consists of uppercase letters (A–Z), lowercase letters (a–z), digits (0–9), and two symbols (+ and /), with = used as a padding character.

Encoding data in Base64 ensures that binary content remains intact without modification during transport across text-based protocols such as email (MIME), JSON payloads, XML documents, and URL query parameters.

Key Features of This Tool

  • Full UTF-8 & Unicode Support: Unlike standard browser btoa() functions that throw an InvalidCharacterError on non-Latin characters, this tool properly encodes emojis and international text.
  • URL-Safe Base64 Mode: Replaces + with - and / with _ while stripping trailing = padding for safe usage in URLs and JWT tokens.
  • 100% Client-Side Privacy: All conversions happen directly inside your browser. No data is logged, stored, or transmitted to any backend server.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Base64 a form of encryption?

No. Base64 is strictly an encoding format designed for safe data transport, not security. Anyone with the encoded string can easily reverse it back to the original content without a key.

Why do Base64 strings often end with equal signs (=)?

Base64 processes input data in groups of 3 bytes (24 bits) and outputs 4 encoded characters (6 bits each). When the input length is not divisible by 3, one or two = characters are appended to pad the output to a multiple of 4 characters.