Base64 Encoder/Decoder

Encode text to Base64 or decode Base64 to text instantly

Full Unicode support including emoji and foreign characters

Convert text to Base64 encoding

0 characters | Auto-converts as you type

Base64 encoded result will appear here...

About Base64 Encoding

What is Base64?

Base64 is a binary-to-text encoding scheme that converts binary data into ASCII characters. It's commonly used to encode data for transmission over media designed to handle text.

Unicode Support

This tool supports full Unicode encoding, including emoji, Chinese characters, Arabic text, and any other UTF-8 characters, using TextEncoder/TextDecoder.

What is Base64 Encoding?

Base64 is a group of binary-to-text encoding schemes that represent binary data in an ASCII string format. It works by dividing the input data into groups of 6 bits, which are then mapped to a set of 64 characters (A-Z, a-z, 0-9, +, and /). This encoding is widely used when binary data needs to be transmitted over systems designed to handle text, such as email (SMTP) or embedded in XML/JSON documents. The '=' character is used for padding when the input length is not a multiple of 3 bytes.

How to Use the Base64 Encoder/Decoder

1

Select encoding mode

Choose 'Encode' to convert plain text to Base64, or 'Decode' to convert Base64 back to readable text. The mode determines how your input will be processed.

2

Enter your input

Type or paste your text into the input field. For encoding, enter any text including Unicode characters. For decoding, paste your Base64 string. The tool handles whitespace automatically.

3

Automatic conversion

The conversion happens in real-time as you type, with a small debounce for performance. There's no need to click any button - results appear instantly.

4

Use the swap feature

Click 'Swap Input/Output' to quickly swap the input and output values and toggle the mode. This is useful for quickly reversing your conversion.

Why Use Our Base64 Encoder/Decoder?

Complete Unicode support

Unlike many online tools, our encoder properly handles Unicode characters using TextEncoder/TextDecoder. Encode emoji, Chinese, Arabic, Cyrillic, and any UTF-8 characters without issues.

Client-side processing

All encoding and decoding happens entirely in your browser using JavaScript. Your data never leaves your device, ensuring complete privacy for sensitive content.

Real-time conversion

See results instantly as you type. No need to click a button to encode or decode - the output updates automatically with debounced input for smooth performance.

Easy swap functionality

Quickly swap input and output with a single click. This instantly reverses your conversion, making it easy to verify or modify your encoded/decoded content.

Error detection

The decoder validates your Base64 input and provides clear error messages if the input is invalid, helping you identify and fix issues quickly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Base64 is a binary-to-text encoding scheme that converts binary data into ASCII characters. It's commonly used to encode data that needs to be stored or transmitted over media designed to handle text, such as email attachments, JSON web tokens, and embedding images in HTML/CSS. Base64 increases the data size by approximately 33% but ensures the data remains intact during transmission.
Yes! This tool uses TextEncoder and TextDecoder APIs to properly handle Unicode characters. You can encode text containing emoji, Chinese characters, Arabic text, Cyrillic, and any other UTF-8 characters. The encoding uses proper UTF-8 byte representation before converting to Base64.
No, Base64 is not encryption - it's just encoding. Anyone can decode a Base64 string. Never use Base64 to 'hide' or 'protect' sensitive data like passwords or API keys. For security, you need proper encryption. Base64 is useful for encoding binary data for text-based transmission, not for security.
Common issues include: whitespace or newlines in the Base64 string (our tool handles this), incorrect padding (= characters at the end), or the string may have been encoded with a different character encoding. Make sure you're using the correct mode (decode) and that your input is a valid Base64 string containing only A-Z, a-z, 0-9, +, /, and = characters.
Standard Base64 uses + and / characters which have special meaning in URLs. URL-safe Base64 (also called Base64URL) replaces + with - and / with _, making it safe to use in URLs without encoding. JWT tokens typically use URL-safe Base64. This tool uses standard Base64; for URL-safe variants, you may need additional processing.

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