Encode & Decode Base64
Type or paste text/Base64 below and choose an action.
How to Use the Base64 Encoder / Decoder
This tool makes it easy to convert data to and from Base64 encoding right in your browser. Follow these simple steps:
- Enter Your Data: In the "Input (text or Base64)" box, type or paste the text you want to encode, or the Base64 string you want to decode.
- Choose an Action:
- Click "Encode → Base64" to convert your plain text into a Base64 string.
- Click "Decode ← Base64" to convert a Base64 string back into readable text.
- View and Copy Output: The result will instantly appear in the "Output" box. You can then click "Copy Output" to easily copy the encoded or decoded text to your clipboard.
- Clear All: To start fresh, simply click "Clear All".
Where is Base64 Encoding Applied?
Base64 is a widely used encoding scheme designed to represent binary data in an ASCII string format. This allows binary data to be safely transmitted or stored in environments that may not handle binary data directly. Here are some common applications:
- Email Attachments: When you send an email with an attachment, the file's binary data is typically Base64 encoded so it can be transmitted reliably over text-based email protocols.
- Data URLs (Image Embedding): Small images or other files can be embedded directly into HTML, CSS, or JavaScript files using Data URLs, which often utilize Base64 encoding to represent the file's content inline. This reduces the number of HTTP requests.
- Web Development (APIs & JSON): When sending binary data (like images or file uploads) through web APIs, especially within JSON payloads, Base64 encoding is commonly used to convert the binary data into a string format that can be easily included in the text-based JSON.
- Configuration Files & Data Storage: Sometimes, binary configuration data or small binary assets are Base64 encoded and stored within text-based configuration files (e.g., XML, JSON, YAML) or databases that are optimized for text storage.
- Obfuscation (Simple): While not a security measure (as it's easily reversible), Base64 can be used for very basic obfuscation of data, making it less immediately readable to the casual observer.
- Cross-Platform Data Transfer: Base64 ensures that data remains intact when moving between different systems or platforms that might have varying interpretations of raw binary data.