> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://mikefarah.gitbook.io/yq/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://mikefarah.gitbook.io/yq/usage/base64.md). # Working with Base64 Encode and decode to and from Base64. Base64 assumes [RFC4648](https://rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc4648.html) encoding. Encoding and decoding both assume that the content is a UTF-8 string and not binary content. See below for examples ## Decode base64: simple Decoded data is assumed to be a string. Given a sample.txt file of: ``` YSBzcGVjaWFsIHN0cmluZw== ``` then ```bash yq -p=base64 -oy '.' sample.txt ``` will output ```yaml a special string ``` ## Decode base64: UTF-8 Base64 decoding supports UTF-8 encoded strings. Given a sample.txt file of: ``` V29ya3Mgd2l0aCBVVEYtMTYg8J+Yig== ``` then ```bash yq -p=base64 -oy '.' sample.txt ``` will output ```yaml Works with UTF-16 😊 ``` ## Decode with extra spaces Extra leading/trailing whitespace is stripped Given a sample.txt file of: ``` YSBzcGVjaWFsIHN0cmluZw== ``` then ```bash yq -p=base64 -oy '.' sample.txt ``` will output ```yaml a special string ``` ## Encode base64: string Given a sample.yml file of: ```yaml "a special string" ``` then ```bash yq -o=base64 '.' sample.yml ``` will output ```` YSBzcGVjaWFsIHN0cmluZw==``` ## Encode base64: string from document Extract a string field and encode it to base64. Given a sample.yml file of: ```yaml coolData: "a special string" ```` then ```bash yq -o=base64 '.coolData' sample.yml ``` will output ```` YSBzcGVjaWFsIHN0cmluZw==``` ```` --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com. ## Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter, and the optional `goal` query parameter: ``` GET https://mikefarah.gitbook.io/yq/usage/base64.md?ask=&goal= ``` `ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. `goal` is optional and describes the broader end goal you are ultimately trying to accomplish on behalf of the user. GitBook uses it to tailor the answer towards what is most useful for that goal. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.