Base64 Encoder / Decoder
Encode and decode UTF-8 text as Base64 instantly in your browser, with validation, file input, and copy or download actions.
Encode/Decode
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About Base64 encoding and decoding
Base64 is a way to represent bytes as readable text. This makes it useful when data needs to pass through systems that handle text more reliably than arbitrary binary content. The tool above performs the conversion locally and supports normal UTF-8 text, including symbols and international characters.
Common uses
- Embedding small values in JSON, XML, or configuration files.
- Representing email attachments and other MIME content.
- Testing API payloads, data URLs, and token segments.
- Moving byte-oriented data through text-only channels.
Important limitations
- Base64 does not hide data or provide confidentiality.
- Encoded text is larger than the original byte sequence.
- Different Base64 variants may use different URL-safe symbols.
- This text mode expects valid UTF-8 when decoding.
How Base64 works
The encoder groups input bytes into 24-bit blocks, divides each block into four six-bit values, and maps those values to a 64-character alphabet. When the final block is shorter than three bytes, equals signs indicate the missing bytes. Decoding reverses that process to reconstruct the original UTF-8 text.