WebP to Base64 Converter — Free Online Tool

What is Base64 Encoding?

Base64 is a binary-to-text encoding scheme that represents binary data in an ASCII string format. It's commonly used to embed images directly in HTML, CSS, or JavaScript.

How It Works

Base64 encoding converts binary image data into a text string using 64 characters (A-Z, a-z, 0-9, +, /). This allows binary data to be transmitted in text-only formats.

When to Use Base64

• Small images: Icons, logos, small graphics (< 10KB)
• Reduce HTTP requests: Inline small images to save requests
• Email templates: Embed images in HTML emails
• Single-file HTML: Create self-contained HTML documents
• Data URIs: Use in CSS background-image properties

When NOT to Use Base64

• Large images: Base64 increases file size by ~33%
• Cacheable images: Base64 can't be cached separately
• Frequently updated images: Requires re-encoding
• SEO-critical images: Search engines prefer standard img tags

Code Examples

HTML Image Tag

<img src="data:image/webp;base64,UklGRiQAAABXRUJQVlA4..." 
     alt="Description" />

CSS Background

.element {
    background-image: url('data:image/webp;base64,UklGRiQAAABXRUJQVlA4...');
}

React/JSX

const imageData = "data:image/webp;base64,UklGRiQAAABXRUJQVlA4...";
<img src={imageData} alt="Description" />

Performance Considerations

Size Increase

Base64 encoding increases file size by approximately 33%. A 10KB image becomes ~13.3KB when encoded.

Best Practices

• Only use for images smaller than 10KB
• Use for images that appear on every page
• Combine with CSS sprites for multiple small images
• Consider HTTP/2 server push as an alternative
• Use regular img tags for large or SEO-important images