Text Encoding and Decoding
This subcategory holds one tool with three tabs: Base64, URL (percent) encoding and HTML entity encoding. Each encodes or decodes text in one click and copies the result. Developers decoding API payloads and Kubernetes secrets, building query strings by hand, or escaping user content for a page are the usual users. If you came for something nearby, the Base64 Image Generator is in Creative & Design under Image Tools, the URL Slug Generator is in Generators, and Hash Comparison is in Calculation Tools.
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All Encoding Tools (1)
Which tool do I need?
Decode a Base64 string from an API response or config file
Paste it into the Base64 tab and decode. Swap - and _ for + and / first if it came from a JWT.
Encode a value safely for a query string
Use the URL tab on the value only, not the whole URL, so &, = and spaces are escaped.
Escape text before showing it in an HTML page
The HTML tab converts angle brackets, ampersands and quotes into entities, which makes it safe to show as text inside ordinary HTML (scripts, styles and URLs need their own escaping).
About Encoding Tools
The three encodings solve different problems and are not interchangeable. Base64 turns bytes into a 64-character alphabet so binary data survives text-only channels such as JSON, email or HTTP headers, at the cost of about a third more size. URL encoding replaces characters that have meaning in a URL, such as &, ? and spaces, so a value can sit inside a query string or path segment. HTML encoding replaces <, >, & and quotes so text displays literally instead of being read as markup. A common chain is to Base64-decode a token from a log, then URL-decode a parameter inside it.
Encoding is not encryption. Anyone can reverse all three, so a Base64 value in a config file or Kubernetes Secret is as readable as plain text to anyone with access. The Base64 decoder expects the standard alphabet; for Base64URL from JWTs, replace - with + and _ with / first. Encode URL parts one at a time rather than a whole URL, or the slashes and colons get escaped too.
Guides
- Base64, URL and HTML Encoding Explained (and When to Use Each)Three encodings that developers mix up constantly. What each one is for, how Base64 actually works bit by bit, and the classic bugs each one causes.
- UTF-8, Mojibake and Byte Order Marks: Text Encoding for DevelopersWhy é turns into é, how UTF-8 lays out bytes, what surrogate pairs do to JavaScript strings, and a checklist for fixing encoding bugs at the source.
- Escape Sequences Explained: Backslashes in JSON, JavaScript, Python and SQLWhy \n is two characters in one place and one in another, how each language escapes quotes, and how to untangle text that has been escaped twice.
Frequently asked questions
Does Base64 encoding hide or protect data?
No. Base64 is a reversible representation with no key, so anyone can decode it instantly. Use encryption or a secrets manager when data has to stay private.
When should I use URL encoding instead of Base64?
Use URL encoding to put readable text inside a URL, and Base64 to carry binary data through a text channel. Base64 output can itself contain + and /, which need URL encoding or the URL-safe alphabet.
Should I URL-encode an entire URL?
No. Encode each path segment or query value separately. Encoding the whole thing escapes the :// and slashes and produces a string browsers cannot follow.
Where can I turn an image into Base64?
Use the Base64 Image Generator in Creative & Design. It converts an image file to a data URL and decodes a Base64 string back into a viewable, downloadable image.