Base64 encoder
What this Base64 encoder does
Base64 represents binary or text bytes as a printable alphabet (A–Z, a–z, 0–9, +, /) with optional = padding so the payload can travel through email, JSON, or XML without raw control characters. It is encoding, not encryption—anyone can reverse it. Use it when an API asks for a file inline, when you build a data: URI, or when you log raw protobuf next to human-readable context during integration work.
When to use it
Use it to mirror what your SDK will emit, to compare a mobile app's payload against a backend sample, or to bundle a small icon for a one-off email test. For the round trip, keep Base64 decoder open; for bitmap previews, follow with Base64 to Image when the string clearly wraps PNG or JPEG bytes.
Worked example
A webhook doc shows an authorization header built from client_id:client_secret. You paste that credential pair here, Base64-encode it, and confirm it matches the sample curl snippet—catching an accidental newline copied from Slack before you burn hours on "invalid_grant".
Frequently asked questions
Why does output length grow?
Base64 expands data roughly 4/3: three raw bytes become four characters. Budget bandwidth and log volume accordingly.
URL-safe Base64?
Some specs swap +// for -/_ and strip padding. If a JWT or OAuth sample fails, verify which alphabet your stack expects.
Can I Base64 secrets?
You can, but it does not protect them—rotate anything accidentally pasted into a ticket.