Image to Base64 Converter
Turn an image into a Base64 data URI, with the HTML and CSS snippets ready to copy.
A Base64 data URI embeds an image directly inside your HTML, CSS or JSON as text, so the image loads with the document instead of as a separate file request. It's the standard trick for small icons and logos in single-file HTML pages, email signatures, README badges, quick prototypes, and anywhere you can't (or don't want to) host a separate image file.
Drop an image in and you get the complete data URI, plus one-click copies of the two forms you actually paste: an <img> tag and a CSS background-image rule. The tool shows the size cost too — Base64 text is about 33% larger than the binary original, which is why this technique belongs to small images; the tool warns you above 50 KB. Encoding happens entirely in your browser via the FileReader API, so the image is never uploaded. If your image is too big to inline, shrink it first with the image compressor.
How to use the Image to Base64
- Drop your image onto the tool — PNG, JPG, WebP, GIF and SVG all work.
- The full data URI appears in the output box, with a preview to confirm it encoded correctly.
- Click Copy data URI, Copy as <img> tag, or Copy as CSS background depending on where you're pasting it.
- Paste into your HTML, CSS or config — no image file hosting needed.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Base64 data URI exactly?
It's the image's binary data encoded into text characters and prefixed with its MIME type, e.g. data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0…. Browsers decode it directly, so the "URL" contains the image itself rather than pointing at a file.
When should I use Base64 instead of a normal image file?
For small images (icons, logos, decorative bits) in contexts where a separate file is awkward: single-file HTML documents, email signatures, inline CSS, code sandboxes, JSON payloads. For regular websites with many or large images, normal files with caching are better.
Why is the Base64 version bigger than my file?
Base64 represents every 3 bytes of binary as 4 text characters, adding roughly 33% overhead. That's the price of embedding — and the reason inlining large photos is a performance mistake.
Is there a size limit?
The tool will encode any image, but it warns above 50 KB because large data URIs bloat your HTML/CSS, can't be cached separately, and slow page parsing. Browsers also cap extremely long URIs (several MB) in some contexts.
Does my image get uploaded during conversion?
No — the FileReader API encodes it in your browser's memory. Nothing leaves your device, so proprietary artwork and unreleased designs are safe.