What is Base64 encoding?

Base64 is a binary-to-text encoding scheme that converts binary data into ASCII text format using 64 characters (A-Z, a-z, 0-9, +, /). It is commonly used to encode binary data for transmission over text-based protocols like email, JSON, or URLs. Validate your Base64-encoded JSON with our JSON Validator .

When should I use Base64 encoding?

Use Base64 when you need to embed binary data (images, files) in text formats like JSON or XML, send binary data over text-only protocols, include images in CSS or HTML as data URLs, or encode authentication credentials in HTTP headers. For URL-safe encoding, check our URL Encoder .

Does Base64 encoding encrypt my data?

No, Base64 is NOT encryption. It is simply an encoding method that converts data to a different format. Anyone can decode Base64 data instantly. Never use Base64 alone to protect sensitive information - use proper encryption instead. For secure hashing, use our Hash Generator .

Why does Base64 increase data size?

Base64 encoding increases data size by approximately 33% because it represents 3 bytes of input data using 4 ASCII characters. This overhead is the trade-off for being able to safely transmit binary data over text-based systems.

What is URL encoding used for?

URL encoding (percent encoding) converts special characters into a format that can be safely transmitted in URLs. Characters like spaces, &, =, ?, and non-ASCII characters are converted to %XX format, where XX is the hexadecimal value of the character. Test URL patterns with our Regex Tester .

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Standard base64 encodingSupports UTF-8 and emoji

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