Digital & Text Tools

How to Use the Base64 Encoder & Decoder

Switch to Encode and type any text to see its Base64 representation, or switch to Decode and paste Base64 text to recover the original — both directions update instantly, and switching modes carries your current result over as the new input, so you can immediately verify a round-trip conversion.

This tool handles both directions of the conversion using your browser's own built-in encoding functions.

Encoding text for a text-only context

As covered in the why-Base64-exists guide, this is most useful when you need to embed content inside a system that only reliably handles plain text, like a JSON field or certain configuration files.

Remembering what Base64 doesn't do

As covered in the not-encryption guide, treat anything encoded here as fully recoverable by anyone with access to it — never use this (or any Base64 tool) as a way to actually hide or protect sensitive information.

Frequently asked questions

Why did decoding fail on the text I pasted?

Valid Base64 text only contains letters, numbers, +, /, and = padding characters in specific groupings — if the text you pasted was cut off, contains extra whitespace, or isn't actually Base64, decoding will fail with an error rather than returning a garbled result.

Does encoding the same text twice always give the same result?

Yes — Base64 encoding is deterministic, meaning identical input always produces identical output; there's no randomness involved in the process, unlike encryption, which often deliberately introduces randomness for security.