Image to Base64

Image to Base64 turns a picture into a Base64 data URI, the kind of data:image/png;base64,... string you can paste straight into CSS or HTML. Drop in a JPG, PNG, GIF, SVG, or WebP and the encoded string appears instantly, with a live preview and its size shown in KB. Everything runs in your browser using the FileReader API, so the image is never sent to a server.

Click or drag an image here

JPG, PNG, GIF, SVG, WebP

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Why use Image to Base64?

Image to Base64 converts a single image into a Base64 data URI and shows it in a read-only text box the moment you add a file. Under the hood it reads the file with the browser's FileReader.readAsDataURL method, which returns a complete data:image/...;base64,... string rather than bare Base64. That distinction matters in practice: the output is already formatted for the two places people usually want it, a CSS background-image value or an HTML img src, with no manual prefixing required. The interface is deliberately small. There is one upload area labeled "Click or drag an image here" that accepts a click to browse or a dragged file, and it hints the formats it expects: JPG, PNG, GIF, SVG, and WebP. Once an image is loaded, a thumbnail preview renders straight from the encoded string, the output textarea fills with the data URI, and its size is displayed in KB next to the label. Two buttons finish the flow: "Copy Base64" places the entire string on your clipboard and flips to a "✓ Copied!" confirmation for a couple of seconds, and "Clear" wipes the current image so you can encode another. Because all of the work happens client-side, the image never leaves your browser, which makes the tool suitable for assets you would not want to send to a third party. It is intentionally scoped to one image at a time and does not resize, compress, or batch. The size readout is genuinely useful here: Base64 inflates data by about a third, so seeing the encoded KB lets you decide whether inlining a given image is actually smaller than linking to it as a separate file.

Key benefits

Produces a complete data URI (data:image/...;base64,...), not just the raw Base64, so it drops straight into a CSS background or an HTML img src
Runs entirely in the browser via the FileReader API, so your image is never uploaded to a server
Shows the encoded size in KB next to the output, so you can judge whether inlining is worth it before you paste
Renders a live thumbnail from the encoded string, confirming the conversion is valid at a glance
Copies the whole data URI to your clipboard in a single press, with a visible confirmation

Features

Accepts JPG, PNG, GIF, SVG, and WebP (any image/* type the browser can read)
Click-to-browse or drag-and-drop upload area
Output is a full Base64 data URI ready for CSS or HTML, shown in a read-only textarea
Live image preview generated from the encoded data URI
Encoded size displayed in KB alongside the output
Copy Base64 button with a confirmation state and a Clear button to reset

Popular use cases

Inline a small icon or logo directly into a CSS stylesheet as a background-image data URI to save an HTTP request
Embed an image into an HTML email or a single self-contained HTML file where external assets are not available
Paste an SVG or PNG data URI into a JSON config, a data attribute, or a design token
Check the encoded size of an image before deciding whether inlining it is smaller than linking to a file

How to use Image to Base64

1
Add your image
Click the upload area labeled "Click or drag an image here" to pick a file, or drag an image onto it. It accepts JPG, PNG, GIF, SVG, and WebP.
2
Read the encoded output
The full Base64 data URI appears in the read-only text box, labeled with its size in KB, and a thumbnail preview renders directly from the encoded string so you can confirm it decoded correctly.
3
Copy the data URI
Press the "Copy Base64" button to send the complete data:image string to your clipboard. The button briefly shows "✓ Copied!" to confirm.
4
Start over
Click "Clear" to remove the current image and encode another one.

Frequently asked questions

What exactly do I get back, just the Base64 or a full data URI?

You get the full data URI, for example data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgo... The MIME prefix is included, so you can paste it directly into a CSS background-image or an HTML img src without adding anything.

Which image formats are supported?

The upload area accepts JPG, PNG, GIF, SVG, and WebP. Technically it takes any file the browser reports as an image type, and the tool ignores anything that is not an image.

Is my image uploaded anywhere?

No. The encoding happens locally with the browser's FileReader API and the result stays on your machine. Nothing about the image is sent to a server.

Can I convert several images at once?

No, this tool handles one image at a time. Use Clear to reset and encode the next one.

Why is my Base64 string larger than the original file?

Base64 encoding adds roughly a third to the size because it represents binary data with a limited character set. The tool shows the encoded size in KB so you can weigh inlining against linking to a file.

How do I use the copied string in CSS?

Paste it where a URL goes, like background-image: url('data:image/png;base64,...'). Because the output already carries the data:image prefix, no extra wrapping is needed.

Last reviewed: July 2026

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