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"category": "dev-utility",

Base64 Encoder

"tldr": Paste any text and get Base64 - UTF-8 safe, so unicode and emoji encode correctly, unlike naive btoa().

Encode any text as Base64 with correct UTF-8 handling: the text is converted to UTF-8 bytes first, then Base64-encoded - so accents, CJK characters, and emoji all round-trip correctly. (Naive JavaScript btoa() throws or corrupts on exactly those characters.)

{"text": "base64"}

Base64 turns arbitrary data into a safe ASCII token for channels that cannot carry it raw: HTTP Basic auth headers, environment variables, XML/JSON string fields, and data URIs. Remember what it is not: encryption. Anyone can decode it.

How to Base64-encode text

  1. 1Paste your text - any unicode is fine.
  2. 2It is encoded to UTF-8 bytes, then to standard Base64 with padding.
  3. 3Copy the result into your header, config, or payload.
  4. 4For JSON documents specifically, our JSON to Base64 tool validates the JSON first.

Convert Text to Base64 in code

JavaScript (UTF-8 safe)
const bytes = new TextEncoder().encode(text);
const b64 = btoa(String.fromCharCode(...bytes));
Python
import base64

base64.b64encode("pässword-🎉".encode()).decode()

Frequently asked questions

Why does btoa() fail on my string when this tool works?

btoa() only accepts characters up to code point 255 - anything beyond (é is fine, 中 or 🎉 are not) throws InvalidCharacterError. The fix, which this tool implements, is TextEncoder first: encode to UTF-8 bytes, then Base64 the bytes.

Is Base64 encryption or hashing?

Neither - it is a reversible encoding, decodable by anyone in one function call. Never use it to protect secrets. If you need confidentiality, encrypt; if you need integrity, hash or sign - Base64 is only the transport wrapper.

What is Base64url and when do I need it?

A URL-safe variant: + becomes -, / becomes _, padding is dropped. JWTs and URL parameters use it because + and / have meanings in URLs. Apply those three substitutions to this output, or use your language's urlsafe variant.

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