Base64 Encoder/Decoder
Convert text or files to and from Base64 encoding
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. It's commonly used for encoding binary data for transmission over text-based protocols.
Common Uses for Base64
- Embedding images directly in HTML or CSS using data URIs
- Sending binary data in JSON payloads
- Encoding binary files for email transmission
- Storing complex data in cookies or local storage
- Embedding fonts in CSS using data URIs
- Encoding binary data in XML files
- Encoding security credentials and tokens
Base64 Encoding Process
Standard Base64: Uses characters A-Z, a-z, 0-9, +, and / with padding using = characters.
URL-Safe Base64: Uses the same characters except replaces + with - and / with _ to make it safe for URLs.
Encoding Ratio: Base64 encoding increases file size by approximately 33% compared to the original binary data.
Common Issues with Base64
Special Characters: When encoding/decoding UTF-8 text with special characters, proper encoding handling is essential.
Padding: Base64 strings are padded with = characters to make the length a multiple of 4. When decoding URL-safe Base64, padding might need to be restored.
Size Increase: Base64 encoding increases data size by about 33%, which can impact performance for large files.