What is Base64?

Base64 is a binary-to-text encoding scheme that represents binary data in an ASCII string format. It's commonly used when binary data needs to be stored or transferred over media designed for text.

Common Use Cases

• Embedding images in HTML or CSS
• Encoding binary data in XML or JSON
• Sending binary data in email bodies
• HTTP Basic Authentication
• JWT tokens and OAuth credentials

URL-Safe Base64

Standard Base64 uses '+' and '/' characters which have special meaning in URLs. URL-safe Base64 replaces these with '-' and '_' to avoid encoding issues when used in URLs or filenames.

Tips

• Base64 encoding increases data size by ~33%
• When decoding fails, check for missing padding ('=')
• For binary files, use the "Binary file mode" option
• JWT tokens use Base64URL (URL-safe) encoding