Base64 Encoder / Decoder
Convert text or files to and from Base64 encoding with various options
Result
About Base64 Encoding
Base64 is a binary-to-text encoding scheme that represents binary data in an ASCII string format by translating it into a radix-64 representation. The term Base64 originates from a specific MIME content transfer encoding.
Base64 Variants
- Standard Base64 - Uses A-Z, a-z, 0-9, +, and / with = padding. This is the most common variant used in email and other general applications.
- URL-safe Base64 - Uses A-Z, a-z, 0-9, -, and _ instead of + and / to avoid URL encoding issues when used in URLs.
- Filename-safe Base64 - Similar to URL-safe but also omits the padding character (=) to make it safe for use in filenames.
- MIME Base64 - Standard Base64 with line breaks every 76 characters, as specified by RFC 2045 for email attachments.
Common Uses of Base64
- Embedding binary data (like images) in text-based formats such as HTML, CSS, or JSON
- Encoding email attachments (MIME)
- Storing complex data in cookies or local storage
- Transmitting binary data over text-only protocols
- Embedding small images directly in HTML/CSS using data URIs
- Encoding authentication credentials in Basic Authentication
Base64 Encoding Process
Base64 encoding works by converting every 3 bytes (24 bits) of binary data into 4 Base64 characters (each representing 6 bits). If the input data length is not divisible by 3, padding characters (=) are added to ensure the output length is a multiple of 4 characters.
| Original ASCII | ASCII Binary | Base64 6-bit Groups | Base64 Encoded |
|---|---|---|---|
| Man | 01001101 01100001 01101110 | 010011 010110 000101 101110 | TWFu |
| A | 01000001 | 010000 010000 | QQ== |