Short answer
Base64 makes data easier to carry through text-only systems, but it is encoding, not encryption.
Base64 Text Encoding Basics
Base64 makes data easier to carry through text-only systems, but it is encoding, not encryption.
Why it matters
- Use Base64 for transport compatibility
- Do not treat Base64 as secrecy
- Decode copied payloads before debugging
What to know
Base64 is often used in API examples, data URLs, tokens, and copied payloads.
Anyone can decode Base64, so it should not be used to hide passwords or secrets.
Decoding before review can reveal accidental binary data, malformed text, or copied whitespace issues.