Why does decoding fail?

The string may be truncated, use URL-safe alphabet, or not be Base64. Try toggling URL-safe and remove any surrounding quotes.

Can I decode JWT payload segments?

Many JWT parts are URL-safe Base64 without padding. Enable URL-safe and paste that segment only—or use the JWT decoder tool.

Why does the output look like garbage?

We decode as UTF-8. If the source used another encoding, or the payload is really an image/binary, it will look wrong—try Base64 to Image for pictures.

Decode Base64 to text

Paste a Base64 string to restore readable text. Whitespace is ignored. Use URL-safe mode if your string uses - and _ instead of + and /.

InputURL-safe Base64Use - and _ instead of + and / (no padding required on decode).

Output

Need to encode text → Base64?

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Decoding restores bytes, then reads them as UTF-8 text. Garbled output often means the original wasn’t UTF-8 or the string was cut off.

JWT payloads and many CDN signatures are URL-safe and unpadded — switch mode before rewriting the string by hand.

How to decode Base64 to text

Paste the Base64 string (spaces/newlines are usually fine)
Turn on URL-safe if the source used -/_ or omitted =
Copy the restored text; if it fails, check truncation first

What this page helps with

Standard and URL-safe alphabets
Tolerant of missing padding
Local decode for sensitive snippets

Common uses

Inspect Base64 fields in API logs
Peek at a JWT payload segment (URL-safe on)
Verify a colleague’s encoded string is complete

Tips

Strip wrapping quotes or a data: prefix first
Binary/garbage output may be an image — try Base64 to image
Re-encode with Text to Base64

Examples

Input	Output	Note
SGk=	Hi	—
5L2g5aW9	你好	UTF-8 Chinese
8J-OiQ	🎉	URL-safe, no padding

FAQ

Why does decoding fail?: The string may be truncated, use URL-safe alphabet, or not be Base64. Try toggling URL-safe and remove any surrounding quotes.
Can I decode JWT payload segments?: Many JWT parts are URL-safe Base64 without padding. Enable URL-safe and paste that segment only—or use the JWT decoder tool.
Why does the output look like garbage?: We decode as UTF-8. If the source used another encoding, or the payload is really an image/binary, it will look wrong—try Base64 to Image for pictures.