Base64 To Text

Base64 to Text Decoder

Decode Base64 Strings to Readable Text - Base64 Decoding Tool

What is the Base64 to Text Decoder Tool?

The Base64 to Text Decoder is a free online utility that converts Base64-encoded strings back into their original, human-readable text format. This tool reverses the Base64 encoding process by translating Base64 characters (A-Z, a-z, 0-9, +, /, =) back into plain text, restoring encoded data to its readable form.base64decode+3​

Whether you're a web developer decoding API responses, a system administrator reading encoded configuration data, an email system working with MIME attachments, or someone who received a Base64-encoded message, the CyberTools Base64 to Text Decoder provides instant, accurate conversion from Base64 to plain text.base64+1​

How to Use the Base64 to Text Decoder

Using our Base64 decoding tool is straightforward and instant:onlinetexttools+2​

Step 1: Enter Base64 String

Paste or type the Base64-encoded data you want to decode:base64+1​

• Base64 strings from API responsesjam​
• Encoded credentials and tokensopenreplay​
• Email attachment data (MIME encoded)
• JSON Web Tokens (JWT)
• Data URIs from HTML/CSS
• Configuration file values
• Any text encoded in Base64 formatbase64decode​

Format requirements:

• Valid Base64 characters: A-Z, a-z, 0-9, +, /, =base64decode​
• Can include line breaks and spacesonlinetexttools​
• Single-line or multi-line Base64 dataonlinetexttools​

Step 2: Select Decoding Optionsemn178.github​

Choose your output encoding:emn178.github​

Output Character Encoding:emn178.github​

• UTF-8 (default) - Universal text encodingemn178.github​
• UTF-16 - Extended Unicode supportemn178.github​
• ASCII - Basic English characters
• Hex - Hexadecimal representationemn178.github​
• Binary - Binary output formatemn178.github​

Format Options:

• Plain text output (default)
• Formatted display
• Preserve line breaks
• Remove padding characters

Step 3: Click "Decode"

Press the decode button or use automatic decoding:openreplay+1​

• Instant decoding - Results appear immediatelybase64decode+1​
• Real-time conversion - Decode as you typeopenreplay​
• Error detection - Alerts for invalid Base64 inputopenreplay​
• 100% accurate - Reliable decodingonlinetexttools​

Step 4: Use Decoded Text

Copy or download the readable text:openreplay​

• Copy to clipboard - One-click copyingopenreplay​
• Download as file - Save decoded text
• Share results - Generate shareable links
• Verify accuracy - Cross-check conversions

What is Base64 Decoding?

Base64 decoding is the process of converting Base64-encoded text back into its original format. This reverses the Base64 encoding scheme, which represents binary data in an ASCII string format using 64 printable characters.base64decode+2​

How Base64 Decoding Worksrapidtables+1​

The decoding process:rapidtables​

1. Parse Base64 string - Read the encoded charactersbase64​
2. Map to 6-bit values - Each character represents 6 bitsrapidtables​
3. Combine into bytes - Group 6-bit values into 8-bit bytesrapidtables​
4. Convert to text - Interpret bytes as ASCII/UTF-8 charactersemn178.github​
5. Remove padding - Strip = padding characters

Example decoding:codebeautify​

text
Base64: SGVsbG8gV29ybGQhIQ==

Decoding process:
S G V s b G 8 g V 2 9 y b G Q h I Q = =
↓ (map to 6-bit values)
↓ (combine into bytes)
↓ (convert to ASCII)

Result: "Hello World!!" [web:320]

Base64 Character Setbase64decode​

The 64 characters used in Base64:base64decode​

ValueCharacterValueCharacter0-25 | A-Z | 26-51 | a-z
52-61 | 0-9 | 62 | +
63 | / | Padding | =

Total: 64 unique characters representing 6 bits eachbase64decode​

Why Use Base64 to Text Decoding?

1. Read Encoded API Responsesjam​

Decode data from web services and APIs:jam​

Modern APIs often return Base64-encoded data:jam​

• Authentication tokens and credentials
• Binary file content in JSON responses
• Encrypted or encoded payloads
• Image data in API returns
• PDF and document content
• Certificate and key data

Use case: API returns user data Base64-encoded for security—decode to read actual values.jam​

2. Debugging and Developmentjam​

Troubleshoot encoded data issues:jam​

During software development:

• Debug Base64 data transmissionjam​
• Verify encoding/decoding implementation
• Test API integration
• Inspect encoded cookies and session data
• Validate JWT token contents
• Examine encoded database values

3. Extract Email Attachment Data

Decode MIME-encoded email attachments:

Email systems use Base64 for attachments:

• Extract attached file content
• Read inline image data
• Process email body encoding
• Analyze MIME parts
• Recover attachment data
• Email forensics analysis

4. Read Encoded Credentials

Decode authentication information:

HTTP Basic Authentication uses Base64:

text
Authorization: Basic dXNlcjpwYXNzMTIz
Decoded: user:pass123

Applications:

• API key decoding
• OAuth token inspection
• Session token analysis
• Cookie data reading
• Security analysis

5. Data URI Processing

Extract embedded data from HTML/CSS:

Data URIs contain Base64-encoded content:

xml
<img src="data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANS...">

Use cases:

• Extract embedded images
• Recover inline resources
• Analyze data URI content
• Convert to separate files
• Optimize web assets

6. Configuration File Reading

Decode encoded configuration values:

Many applications store sensitive data Base64-encoded:

• Database connection strings
• API keys and secrets
• Encryption keys (encoded, not encrypted!)
• Certificate data
• License information
• Application settings

7. Security Analysis

Cybersecurity and forensics:

• Malware analysis (decode obfuscated strings)
• Network traffic inspection
• Log file analysis
• Incident response
• Reverse engineering
• Penetration testing

Common Base64 Decoding Examples

Simple Text Decodingcodebeautify​

Base64: SGVsbG8gV29ybGQhIQ==

Decoded Text: Hello World!!codebeautify​

Basic Authentication

Base64: dXNlcjpwYXNzd29yZA==

Decoded Text: user:password

Usage: HTTP Basic Auth header

JSON Data

Base64: eyJuYW1lIjoiSm9obiIsImFnZSI6MzB9

Decoded Text: {"name":"John","age":30}

Usage: Encoded JSON payload

Multi-Line Base64onlinetexttools​

Base64 (with line breaks):onlinetexttools​

text
VGhlIHF1aWNrIGJyb3duIGZveCBqdW1wcyBvdmVy
IHRoZSBsYXp5IGRvZw==

Decoded Text: The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog

Note: Tool handles line breaks automaticallyonlinetexttools​

URL-Safe Base64

Base64URL: SGVsbG8tV29ybGRf

Standard Base64: SGVsbG8+V29ybGQ/

Decoded Text: Hello-World_ or Hello>World?

Common Use Cases

Web Developersjam​

Frontend and backend development:

• Decoding API responsesjam​
• Processing data URIs
• Reading encoded cookies
• JWT token inspection
• Debugging authentication issues
• Base64 data extraction from HTML

API Developersjam​

API integration and testing:jam​

• Testing API endpointsjam​
• Decoding response payloads
• Authentication header analysis
• Token validation
• Error message decoding
• API documentation examples

System Administrators

Infrastructure management:

• Reading encoded configuration files
• Kubernetes secrets decoding
• Environment variable inspection
• Certificate data extraction
• Log file analysis
• Backup file reading

Security Professionals

Cybersecurity work:

• Malware string analysis
• Network traffic inspection
• Incident investigation
• Forensic data recovery
• Penetration testing
• Security audit reviews

DevOps Engineers

CI/CD and deployment:

• Pipeline credentials decoding
• Docker secrets inspection
• Configuration management
• Environment validation
• Secret rotation verification
• Deployment debugging

Email Administrators

Email system management:

• MIME attachment extraction
• Email header analysis
• Inline image recovery
• Message body decoding
• Email forensics
• Spam analysis

Features of CyberTools Base64 to Text Decoder

✅ Instant Decodingbase64decode+2​

• Real-time conversion - Immediate resultsopenreplay+1​
• Auto-decode mode - Decodes as you typeopenreplay​
• Lightning-fast - Sub-second processingonlinetexttools​
• Unlimited length - No size restrictions
• 100% accurate - Reliable decodingonlinetexttools​

🔧 Flexible Input Handlingonlinetexttools​

Accepts various Base64 formats:onlinetexttools​

• Single-line Base64 stringsonlinetexttools​
• Multi-line formatted dataonlinetexttools​
• With or without line breaksonlinetexttools​
• Standard and URL-safe variants
• MIME-formatted Base64

🌐 Multiple Output Encodingsemn178.github​

Character encoding support:emn178.github​

• UTF-8 (default and recommended)emn178.github​
• UTF-16LE and UTF-16BEemn178.github​
• ASCII text output
• Hexadecimal displayemn178.github​
• Binary representationemn178.github​

⚠️ Error Detectionopenreplay​

Invalid input handling:openreplay​

• Alerts for invalid Base64 charactersopenreplay​
• Padding error detection
• Malformed string warnings
• Helpful error messages
• Suggests corrections

📋 Copy and Shareopenreplay​

• Copy to clipboard - One-click copyingopenreplay​
• Download results - Save as text file
• Share link - Generate shareable URLs
• Print-friendly - Clean output format

🔄 Bidirectional Conversionbase64decode+1​

• Base64 to Text - Decode Base64base64+1​
• Text to Base64 - Encode textbase64decode+1​
• Toggle modes - Switch instantlybase64decode​
• Verify conversions - Test both directions

🔒 Privacy-Focusedjam​

• Browser-based - No server uploadjam​
• Completely private - Data stays local
• No registration - Free anonymous usejam​
• Secure processing - Client-side decoding
• No logging - Zero data retention

📱 Responsive Designopenreplay​

• Mobile-friendly - Works on all devicesopenreplay​
• Touch-optimized - Easy smartphone use
• Fast loading - Minimal bandwidth
• Full features - Complete functionality everywhereopenreplay​

Programming Examples

JavaScript

javascript
// Decode Base64 to text
const base64 = "SGVsbG8gV29ybGQ=";
const text = atob(base64);
console.log(text);
// Output: Hello World

// For Unicode support
const decodeUTF8 = (base64) => {
  return decodeURIComponent(atob(base64).split('').map(c => {
    return '%' + ('00' + c.charCodeAt(0).toString(16)).slice(-2);
  }).join(''));
};

const encoded = "SGVsbG8g5LiW55WM";
const decoded = decodeUTF8(encoded);

Python

python
import base64

# Decode Base64 to text
base64_string = "SGVsbG8gV29ybGQ="
decoded_bytes = base64.b64decode(base64_string)
text = decoded_bytes.decode('utf-8')
print(text)
# Output: Hello World

# With error handling
try:
    decoded = base64.b64decode(base64_string).decode('utf-8')
    print(decoded)
except Exception as e:
    print(f"Decoding error: {e}")

PHP

php
// Decode Base64 to text
$base64 = "SGVsbG8gV29ybGQ=";
$decoded = base64_decode($base64);
echo $decoded;
// Output: Hello World

// With validation
if (base64_encode(base64_decode($base64)) === $base64) {
    $text = base64_decode($base64);
    echo $text;
} else {
    echo "Invalid Base64 string";
}

Java

java
import java.util.Base64;
import java.nio.charset.StandardCharsets;

// Decode Base64 to text
String base64 = "SGVsbG8gV29ybGQ=";
byte[] decodedBytes = Base64.getDecoder().decode(base64);
String text = new String(decodedBytes, StandardCharsets.UTF_8);
System.out.println(text);
// Output: Hello World

// URL-safe decoding
String urlSafeBase64 = "SGVsbG8gV29ybGQ";
byte[] urlDecoded = Base64.getUrlDecoder().decode(urlSafeBase64);

C# / .NET

csharp
using System;
using System.Text;

// Decode Base64 to text
string base64 = "SGVsbG8gV29ybGQ=";
byte[] decodedBytes = Convert.FromBase64String(base64);
string text = Encoding.UTF8.GetString(decodedBytes);
Console.WriteLine(text);
// Output: Hello World

Understanding Base64 Formatbase64decode​

Base64 Character Tablebase64decode​

Complete Base64 alphabet:base64decode​

text
Index  0-25:  A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Index 26-51:  a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
Index 52-61:  0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Index 62:     +
Index 63:     /
Padding:      =

Padding Rules

The = symbol indicates padding:

Base64 outputs must be multiples of 4 characters:

• No padding: Input bytes divisible by 3 → 4 characters output
• 1 = pad: 2 bytes → 3 characters + =
• 2 == pads: 1 byte → 2 characters + ==

Examples:

text
"Hello" (5 bytes) → SGVsbG8= (1 padding)
"Hi" (2 bytes) → SGk= (1 padding)
"A" (1 byte) → QQ== (2 padding)

Standard vs URL-Safe Base64

FeatureStandardURL-SafeCharacter 62 | + | - (minus)
Character 63 | / | _ (underscore)
Padding | = | Often omitted
Use in URLs | Requires encoding | Direct use

Best Practices

When to Decode Base64

✅ Decode when:

• Reading API responsesjam​
• Inspecting authentication tokens
• Extracting email attachments
• Debugging encoded datajam​
• Analyzing configuration files
• Security forensics

Input Validation

✅ Verify Base64 input:

• Check for valid characters only (A-Z, a-z, 0-9, +, /, =)base64decode​
• Verify proper padding (0, 1, or 2 = signs)
• Remove unnecessary whitespaceonlinetexttools​
• Handle line breaks appropriatelyonlinetexttools​
• Test with known valid strings

Output Encoding Selectionemn178.github​

✅ Choose appropriate encoding:emn178.github​

• UTF-8 - Default for most textemn178.github​
• UTF-16 - Unicode-heavy contentemn178.github​
• Hex - Binary data inspectionemn178.github​
• ASCII - Simple English text only

Security Considerations

⚠️ Critical security notes:

• Base64 is NOT encryption - Anyone can decode itopenreplay​
• Don't rely on Base64 for security - It's encoding, not security
• Validate decoded output - Check for malicious content
• Sanitize before use - Never trust decoded data blindly
• Don't execute decoded code - Security risk

Error Handling

✅ Handle decoding errors gracefully:

• Catch invalid Base64 exceptionsopenreplay​
• Provide meaningful error messagesopenreplay​
• Validate before processing
• Log errors for debugging
• Offer correction suggestions

Common Questions

What does "invalid Base64" mean?openreplay​

Common causes of invalid Base64:openreplay​

• Invalid characters - Contains characters outside Base64 alphabetbase64decode​
• Incorrect padding - Wrong number of = signs
• Truncated string - Incomplete Base64 data
• Wrong format - Not actually Base64 encoded
• Corrupted data - Transmission errors

Solution: Verify the source and check for copy/paste errors.openreplay​

Can I decode Base64 with line breaks?onlinetexttools​

Yes, most decoders handle line breaks:onlinetexttools​

• Multi-line Base64 is common in MIME encodingonlinetexttools​
• Decoders typically ignore whitespaceonlinetexttools​
• RFC 2045 specifies 76-character lines
• Our tool automatically processes line breaksonlinetexttools​

Example:onlinetexttools​

text
VGhlIHF1aWNrIGJyb3du
IGZveCBqdW1wcw==

Decodes correctly despite line break.onlinetexttools​

Why does my decoded text look garbled?

Possible reasons:

• Wrong character encoding - Try UTF-8 instead of ASCIIemn178.github​
• Not text data - Base64 might encode binary (image, file)
• Corrupted Base64 - Missing or extra characters
• Wrong variant - URL-safe vs standard Base64
• Double-encoded - Data was encoded twice

Solution: Verify encoding format and try different output encodings.emn178.github​

What's the difference between Base64 and Base64URL?

Base64URL is URL-safe variant:

Standard Base64:

• Uses + and / characters
• Requires URL encoding in URLs
• Standard padding with =

Base64URL:

• Uses - and _ instead
• Safe in URLs without encoding
• Padding often omitted
• Used in JWT tokens

Both decode to same data, just different character sets.

Can Base64 be decoded without padding?

Yes, padding is optional in some implementations:

Many decoders accept Base64 without = padding:

• Calculate missing padding automatically
• URL-safe Base64 often omits padding
• RFC allows padding omission in some contexts

Example:

text
With padding: SGVsbG8=
Without: SGVsbG8
Both decode to: "Hello"

Is Base64 decoding reversible?

Yes, Base64 is fully reversible:

• Encoding is lossless - no data lost
• Decoding restores exact original
• Can encode → decode → encode repeatedly
• Perfect round-trip conversion

However: You must know the correct character encoding.emn178.github​

Can I decode JWT tokens with this tool?

Yes, JWT tokens use Base64URL encoding:

JWT structure: header.payload.signature

Each part is Base64URL encoded:

text
eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9
↓ Decode
{"alg":"HS256","typ":"JWT"}

Note: Replace - with + and _ with / if using standard decoder.

Related CyberTools for Data Decoding

Complement your Base64 decoding with these related tools on CyberTools:

🔒 Text to Base64 Encoder

• Encode text to Base64base64decode+1​
• Create Base64 strings
• Reverse conversion

📸 Base64 to Image Decoder

• Decode Base64 to images
• Extract embedded images
• Convert data URIs

🖼️ Image to Base64 Encoder

• Convert images to Base64
• Create data URIs
• Embed in HTML/CSS

🔢 Base64 to Hexadecimal

• Convert Base64 to hex
• Binary data inspection
• Developer debugging

📝 URL Decoder

• Decode percent-encoded URLs
• Query string processing
• Web data handling

🔐 Base32 Decoder

• Decode Base32 strings
• Alternative encoding format
• QR code data

💻 Binary to Text Decoder

• Binary to ASCII conversion
• Low-level data decoding
• Computer science learning

🔧 JWT Decoder

• Decode JSON Web Tokens
• Inspect JWT claims
• Authentication debugging

Command-Line Base64 Decoding

Linux/macOS

bash
# Decode Base64 to text
echo "SGVsbG8gV29ybGQ=" | base64 -d
# Output: Hello World

# Decode file
base64 -d input.base64 > output.txt

# Decode with line breaks
cat encoded.txt | base64 -d

Windows PowerShell

powershell
# Decode Base64 to text
$base64 = "SGVsbG8gV29ybGQ="
$bytes = [Convert]::FromBase64String($base64)
$text = [System.Text.Encoding]::UTF8.GetString($bytes)
Write-Output $text
# Output: Hello World

Windows Command Prompt

text
# Using certutil (built-in)
echo SGVsbG8gV29ybGQ= > encoded.txt
certutil -decode encoded.txt decoded.txt

Start Decoding Base64 Now

Stop staring at encoded strings. Get instant, accurate Base64 decoding with the CyberTools Base64 to Text Decoder.

✅ Completely free - unlimited usejam​
✅ Instant decoding - Real-time conversionbase64decode+2​
✅ Auto-decode mode - Converts as you typeopenreplay​
✅ Error detection - Invalid input alertsopenreplay​
✅ Multiple encodings - UTF-8, UTF-16, Hex outputemn178.github​
✅ Line break handling - Multi-line supportonlinetexttools​
✅ Copy to clipboard - One-click copyingopenreplay​
✅ No registration - Free anonymous usejam​
✅ Mobile-friendly - Works everywhereopenreplay​
✅ 100% accurate - Reliable decodingonlinetexttools​

Decode Base64 to Text Now →

For developers: Need bulk Base64 decoding or API access? Contact us about enterprise decoding solutions, automated data processing, and integration services.

Have questions? Reach out at support@cybertools.cfd or visit our Contact Page.

The CyberTools Base64 to Text Decoder helps thousands of developers, system administrators, and security professionals decode Base64 data every day. Join them in converting Base64 strings to readable text quickly and accurately.

Related Resources:

• Text to Base64 Encoder
• Base64 Encoding Guide
• Image to Base64 Converter
• Base64 to Image Decoder
• JWT Token Decoder
• URL Decoder
• Data Encoding Tools
• API Development Guide
• Help Center

1. https://www.base64decode.org
2. https://emn178.github.io/online-tools/base64_decode.html
3. https://base64.guru/converter/decode/text
4. https://onlinetexttools.com/convert-base64-to-text
5. https://openreplay.com/tools/base64/
6. https://jam.dev/utilities/base-64-encoder
7. https://codebeautify.org/base64-to-text-converter
8. https://www.base64decode.net
9. https://www.rapidtables.com/web/tools/base64-decode.html