Base64 Encode / Decode

About Base64 encoding

What is Base64 encoding?

Base64 is a binary-to-text encoding scheme that represents binary data using 64 printable ASCII characters (A–Z, a–z, 0–9, + and /). It lets binary data — images, files, keys — be safely embedded in text formats like JSON, XML, URLs, or email.

Is Base64 encryption?

No. Base64 is not encryption and provides no security — it is fully reversible without a key or password. Anyone can decode it back to the original data instantly, so never use it to protect sensitive information.

What does "URL-safe" Base64 mean?

Standard Base64 uses + and / characters and = padding, which have special meaning in URLs and file paths. URL-safe Base64 replaces + with -, / with _, and drops the padding, so the result can be used directly in a URL, filename, or JWT without escaping.

Why does Base64 output sometimes have line breaks?

Older systems such as email (MIME) and PEM certificates expect Base64 wrapped at 76 characters per line. Most modern uses — APIs, JSON, URLs — expect one unbroken line, so leave line wrapping off unless a spec calls for it.

What is a Base64 data URI?

A data URI embeds a file directly inside HTML or CSS using the format data:<mime-type>;base64,<data>, avoiding a separate network request. It is commonly used for small images, icons, and fonts.

Does this tool upload my data anywhere?

No. Encoding and decoding happen entirely in your browser using standard Web APIs. Nothing you type, paste, or upload ever leaves your device.

Configuration options

URL-safe

Replaces + with -, / with _, and removes = padding, so the output can be used directly in a URL, filename, or JWT without needing escaping.

Wrap at 76 chars

Inserts a line break every 76 characters (MIME/PEM-style). Only needed for legacy systems like email attachments — most modern uses expect a single line.

Data URI

Prefixes the output with data:<mime-type>;base64, so it can be pasted directly into CSS or HTML to embed a file inline. Automatically disables line wrapping.

Load file

Reads a file from disk (or drag-and-drop onto the input) and encodes its raw bytes — the only way to Base64-encode binary data, since it can't be typed into a text box.