Image to Base64

Frequently asked questions

When should I inline an image as base64?

Inline small images under about 2-4KB, like icons or single-use decorations, to skip an HTTP request. Larger images bloat your HTML, can't be cached separately, and block initial render.

Why is my base64 image bigger than the original?

Base64 encoding adds roughly 33% overhead because it uses 4 ASCII characters per 3 bytes. Gzip can claw some of that back over the wire, but the decoded size is still larger in memory.

Can search engines index base64-encoded images?

Generally no. Google image search relies on dedicated image URLs with alt text and context. Inline images are fine for decorative use but should never replace content images you want indexed.