How to decode Base64
- Paste the Base64 string into the input box. Line breaks, spaces and a
data:prefix are ignored. - Press Decode. The text appears below, decoded as UTF-8 so accented letters and emoji display correctly.
- If the data turns out to be binary, such as an image or PDF, the tool says so; switch to the Base64 → File tab to preview and download it.
A forgiving decoder
Base64 shows up in many slightly different forms. This decoder accepts all of them without fuss: standard Base64 with + and /, URL-safe Base64 with - and _ as used in JWTs and many APIs, strings with the = padding stripped, and MIME-style text wrapped every 76 characters. If the input contains characters that cannot be Base64, you get a clear message instead of garbage.
Common reasons to decode Base64 include reading the contents of a Kubernetes secret, checking what is inside an HTTP Basic auth header, inspecting email attachments or SAML messages, and debugging API payloads. To read a JSON Web Token, the JWT Decoder is quicker, because it decodes all three parts and explains the claims.
Decoding runs locally in your browser, so secrets and credentials you paste are never sent to a server.
FAQ
Why do I get strange characters after decoding?
The original data was probably not UTF-8 text, for example an image, compressed data or text in another encoding. Use the Base64 → File tab to download the raw bytes.
Can Base64 be decoded without a key?
Yes. Base64 is a public encoding, not encryption. Anyone can decode it, so it should never be used to protect secrets.
How do I decode a Kubernetes secret?
Copy the value from the data section of the secret and paste it here. kubectl stores each value Base64-encoded.