Base64: what it is and how to use it
A short guide to Base64 — what it's for, how Unicode and URL-safe variants work, and how to encode and decode text and files in your browser.
Open the Base64 tool →What this tool does
The Base64 Encoder / Decoder converts text to Base64 and back, handles Unicode correctly, offers a URL-safe variant, and can Base64-encode any file — all in your browser.
What is Base64?
Base64 represents arbitrary bytes using 64 printable characters (A–Z, a–z, 0–9, + and /). It's used to move binary data through text-only channels — embedding images in CSS or HTML (data URLs), email attachments (MIME), and JSON or API payloads.
It is not encryption. Anyone can decode Base64, so never use it to hide secrets.
How to use it
- Open the Base64 tool.
- Paste text and click Encode or Decode.
- Tick URL-safe for the
-/_variant without padding. - Or choose Encode a file to turn any file into Base64.
Unicode and URL-safe variants
- Unicode — the tool encodes text as UTF-8 first, so emoji and accented characters round-trip correctly.
- URL-safe — replaces
+and/with-and_and removes=padding, so it fits in URLs and filenames (this is what JWTs use).
Your data stays private
Text and files are processed entirely in your browser — nothing is uploaded.
FAQ
Is Base64 encryption?
No — it's reversible encoding, not protection.
What is URL-safe Base64?
A variant using - and _ with no padding, safe in URLs.
Is my data uploaded?
No — it all runs in your browser.
Ready to try it? Open the Base64 tool →