Encoding & Conversion Tools: Complete Guide
When to use Base64, URL encoding, HTML entities, binary, hex, Morse code, and more. Reference guide for developers and anyone working with text encoding.
What is text encoding?
Text encoding converts characters into a format that systems can store or transmit. Different encodings serve different purposes. Base64 makes binary data safe for URLs and JSON. URL encoding handles special characters in query strings. HTML entities prevent markup from breaking. This guide covers when to use each.
Base64 encoding
Base64 encodes binary data as ASCII text using 64 characters (A–Z, a–z, 0–9, +, /). Defined in RFC 4648. Use it when you need to embed binary (images, files) in JSON, XML, or URLs. Our Base64 encode/decode tool handles both directions.
URL encoding
URL encoding (percent-encoding) replaces unsafe characters with %XX hex codes. Spaces become %20, ampersands %26. Use it when building query strings or passing user input in URLs. Our URL encode/decode tool encodes and decodes instantly.
HTML entities
HTML entities represent characters that would otherwise break markup. < becomes <, " becomes ". Use them when displaying user-generated content in HTML or when you need literal angle brackets. Our HTML entities tool converts both ways.
Binary and hex
Binary represents text as 0s and 1s; hex uses 0–9 and A–F. Useful for low-level debugging, teaching, or working with raw byte data. Our text to binary and hex converter handle these.
Morse code and ROT13
Morse code translates letters to dots and dashes. ROT13 shifts letters by 13 positions. Neither provides security; both are for obfuscation or fun. Use our Morse code converter and ROT13 tool for quick conversion.