What Base64 does
Base64 represents binary or text data using a limited character set. It appears in data URLs, email payloads, API examples, tokens, and configuration snippets.
What it does not do
Base64 is encoding, not encryption. Anyone with the encoded text can usually decode it back to the original content.
Common mistakes
Do not publish encoded secrets, credentials, private keys, or confidential files just because the output looks unreadable. Treat Base64 strings as readable data.
FAQ
Why does Base64 sometimes 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 are hard to manage.