Understanding Base64 Encoding

April 10, 2026 8 min read

Base64 is a encoding scheme that converts binary data into ASCII text format. It's widely used in web development, email, and data storage applications.

What is Base64?

Base64 is a positional notation with a base of 64. It uses 64 ASCII characters (A-Z, a-z, 0-9, +, /) to represent binary data. The "=" character is used for padding.

Common Use Cases

  • Embedding images in HTML or CSS
  • Transmitting binary data over text-based protocols
  • Storing complex data in databases
  • Encoding email attachments (MIME)

How It Works

The encoding process takes 3 bytes (24 bits) of input and converts them into 4 Base64 characters. Each Base64 digit represents exactly 6 bits of the original data.

Example

Input: Hello
Output: SGVsbG8=
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