Practical usage guide
What this tool does
Base64 represents bytes with printable characters so binary or UTF-8 data can travel through text-oriented systems. It is an encoding, not encryption: anyone who receives the value can decode it, and the result is not authenticated or made safe by Base64.
Standard Base64 uses + and /, while the URL-safe form uses - and _. Padding with = may be omitted by some systems. This page handles UTF-8 text and accepts both standard and URL-safe input when decoding.
Quick start
Choose encode or decode
Encode turns readable UTF-8 text into Base64. Decode reverses a Base64 text value into UTF-8 when the underlying bytes represent text.
Select URL-safe output when required
Use URL-safe for JWT-style segments, query parameters, or systems that cannot accept + and /.
Inspect the decoded content
Treat decoded output as untrusted data. Confirm what it contains before executing, opening, or placing it into another context.
Common use cases
Prepare text fields for APIs
Encode UTF-8 credentials, snippets, or metadata only when the API explicitly asks for Base64.
Inspect encoded configuration
Decode environment variables, basic-auth fragments, or copied payload fields to verify their text content.
Work with Base64URL segments
Translate values that use the URL-safe alphabet and optional padding, such as parts of a JWT.
Limitations and important notes
Base64 provides no secrecy
Do not use Base64 to protect passwords, tokens, or personal data. Use appropriate encryption and access controls.
This interface is intended for text
Arbitrary binary files may not decode into valid UTF-8. Use a file-aware utility when exact bytes must be preserved.
Remove Data URI prefixes first
Values beginning with data:image/...;base64, include metadata before the comma. Decode only the Base64 portion when inspecting content.