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Base64 Encoder / Decoder

Convert standard UTF-8 text to Base64 and decode Base64 strings. Includes support for URL-safe Base64 and Unicode characters.

Direction

Your text 64 chars · 1 line

Result

How to use Base64 Encoder / Decoder

  1. Select Encode or Decode mode.
  2. Type or paste your text in the input area.
  3. Toggle URL-Safe format if needed for web parameters.
  4. Copy the result.

About Base64 Encoder / Decoder

Encode text to Base64 or decode Base64 back to text. Full Unicode is supported, so accented letters and emoji round-trip correctly, and a URL-safe option produces strings you can put in links and file names.

Related tools: JSON Formatter & Validator, URL Encoder / Decoder, JWT Decoder, Regex Tester

What Base64 is for

Base64 turns any data into plain letters, numbers, +, and / so it can travel through systems that only accept text, such as email bodies, JSON fields, HTTP headers, and data URLs. It makes data about a third larger.

Base64 is an encoding, not encryption. Anyone can decode it, so never use it to protect passwords or secrets.

Standard and URL-safe

Standard Base64 uses + and / and pads the end with =. Those characters have special meaning in URLs. URL-safe Base64 replaces them with - and _ and drops the padding, which is what JWTs and many APIs expect.

Text is converted to UTF-8 bytes before encoding, which matches how servers and most programming languages do it, so the output is interchangeable with other tools.

Common uses

Basic auth headers
Encode username:password for an Authorization: Basic header while testing an API.
Decoding tokens and payloads
Read the Base64 parts of webhooks, emails, or encoded config values.
Data in URLs
Create URL-safe strings for query parameters or file names.
Debugging
Check what an encoded field actually contains.

Questions about Base64 Encoder / Decoder

Does this handle non-ASCII and Unicode characters?
Yes. The converter utilizes UTF-8 byte encoding to preserve international characters, accents, and emojis.
What is URL-safe Base64?
URL-safe Base64 replaces + with - and / with _, and omits padding equal signs (=) for compatibility in query strings.
Why do I get an error when decoding?
The input contains characters that are not Base64, or part of it is missing. Both standard and URL-safe Base64 are accepted, and missing = padding is added automatically.
Is Base64 secure?
No. It is reversible by anyone. Use it to transport data, not to hide it.
How do I switch between encoding and decoding quickly?
Click Swap. The result becomes your input and the direction flips.

Comments

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