Base64 encoder and decoder — text in, text out.
Convert text to Base64 or decode Base64 back to text. UTF-8 characters are handled correctly, and a URL-safe variant is available.
Encode or decode
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What is Base64?
A way of writing binary data using 64 printable characters.
Base64 represents bytes with the letters A–Z and a–z, the digits 0–9, and two symbols, plus a = sign for padding. It makes arbitrary data safe to put in places that only handle text, such as JSON, email, data URIs and URLs.
It is an encoding, not encryption: anyone can decode it, so never use it to hide secrets. It also makes data about a third larger.
The standard alphabet uses + and /, which have special meanings in URLs. The URL-safe variant swaps them for - and _ and often drops the padding, which is what JWTs and many APIs use.
Common questions
Is Base64 encryption? +
No. It is a reversible encoding with no key. Anything encoded can be decoded by anyone.
What is the URL-safe variant? +
It replaces + with - and / with _ so the result can be used in a URL or a file name without further encoding. The padding = is usually removed.
Why do I get an error when decoding? +
The input may contain characters outside the Base64 alphabet, or be truncated. The decoder accepts both alphabets, ignores whitespace and tolerates missing padding.
Does it handle non-English text and emoji? +
Yes. Text is converted to UTF-8 bytes before encoding, and decoded back from UTF-8.