What Base64 does
Base64 represents binary or text data using a limited set of characters. It is common in data URLs, API examples, email payloads, tokens, and configuration snippets where raw bytes are inconvenient.
What it does not do
Base64 does not encrypt, secure, anonymize, or hide sensitive data. If you encode a secret, someone else can decode it if they have the encoded text.
Common mistakes
People sometimes treat Base64 as a security layer. It is not. Do not publish encoded credentials, private keys, tokens, or confidential documents just because they look unreadable.
FAQ
Why does Base64 output end with equals signs?
Padding may be added so the encoded data aligns correctly.
Can images be Base64 encoded?
Yes, but large images create long strings that can be hard to manage.