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Base64 encoder and decoder

Paste text to encode it as base64, or paste base64 to read it back. Text is encoded as UTF-8, so accents and emoji survive the trip — and the URL-safe alphabet is one checkbox away.

Direction
Alphabet

Common questions

  • What is base64 used for?

    It writes arbitrary bytes using 64 printable characters, so binary survives channels that only carry text — email attachments, data URIs, JSON fields. The encoded form is about a third larger.

  • Is base64 a form of encryption?

    No. It is an encoding, not a cipher: anyone can decode it without a key, and this page does it in one paste. Never use base64 to hide a password, a token or anything else secret.

  • Why do accents and emoji break in other base64 tools?

    Base64 encodes bytes, not characters, so text has to become UTF-8 first. Tools built on the browser's btoa alone fail above Latin-1 — btoa("café") throws. This one encodes as UTF-8.

  • What is URL-safe base64?

    Plus and slash both have meaning inside a URL, so RFC 4648 defines an alternative using minus and underscore instead. JWTs use it, usually with the trailing equals padding removed.

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